The Food and Drugs Authority has impounded four cartons and 27 packs of expired Pavo Frankfurt II and Wurstsel DI Pollo E Trachino Congela, a sausage product, in Ho in the Volta Region. The items were impounded during an enhanced surveillance operation following an alert indicating the Pavo and AIA Wudy brands of frozen foods were contaminated.
The products which were linked to an outbreak of listeriosis in Italy were found in the markets in Ho. Investigations have been launched to identify the importer and supplier of the red-alert product. In a related development, border security agencies impounded 22 bags (50kg each) of the lead-contaminated Indian-produced SIMBA rice at the Aflao border.
The red-alert products were identified during duty processing at the Customs unit in November. This was a joint operation between the Food and Drugs Authority, the Customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority. The importers upon interrogation said that they bought the products on the Togolese market at cheap prices, to be retailed in Ghana.
The National Security issued an alert for enhanced surveillance following the interception of 1,000 bags of the led-contaminated SIMBA rice in Nigeria. Addressing the press on the developments, the Volta Regional Director of the FDA, Gordon Akorogo said consuming the rice would lead to brain damage, affect the nervous system and possibly cause death.
“We can’t rule out that this product would find its way onto the market because of the porous nature of our borders”, he said. He said his outfit has intensified surveillance to remove the lead-contaminated products from the market. He also urged the public to be extra vigilant when purchasing items during the festive period and desist from picking items with cheap prices, check the labelling and expiry details.
“All we want the general public to know is to ensure that we don’t buy food this festive period that will harm our health, that will give us illness”, he stressed
Source: Fred Quame Asare
