Unwholesome cartons of chicken parts destroyed

Tema, June 17, GNA - The Tema Port Health Directorate has destroyed 2,600 cartons of unwholesome chicken parts imported into the country from Belgium on April 25,last year.

Mr Edward N. Sakah, Port Health Superintendent who disclosed this in an interview with the GNA at Tema on Saturday, said the chicken parts came on board MV Caribbean Star, a 140-footer vessel and was shipped by Maritime Shipping Line at Tema. He said the consignment expired in February 2006 and because the owners could not be traced, the Shipping Line was surcharged with the destruction of the chicken parts which took place on June 07 at the Kpone refuse dump under the supervision of personnel from Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, (CEPS) Police Buffalo Unit and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) security.

The Port Health Superintendent indicated that the consignment was allowed to decompose before its destruction making it very difficult for exhumation for consumption. On the same day, he said three containers of assorted food items, including beverages; biscuits and macaroni among others seized by CEPS were also destroyed.

Mr Sakah said in the two incidents, security personnel had difficult time warding off intruders from pilfering some of the items which were mix with refuse before they were buried. He said CEPS had confiscated three-20 footer containers of frozen pork, pig feet, chicken legs, boneless buffalo meat that had expired which the directorate was monitoring for destruction.

The Port Health Directorate, he said, was liasing with the management of Maersk Shipping Line that shipped the consignment in order that after CEPS inspection it would be destroyed using the same method. He said even though the owners or importers were not yet known, "our main concern is that the meat does not get to the market," he added.