FDB to establish offices at all major entry points

Bolgatanga, June 21,GNA -The Food and Drugs Board (FDB), is to establish offices at the country's major frontiers to examine all imported products before they reach consumers. Mr. Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, Chief Executive of the Board, who announced this at a press conference in Bolgatanga, on Monday, said the Paramount Chief of Sandema, Sandem-Nab Ayieta Azantilow, has provided land at the Paga Border Post, for the first office block in the Upper East Region.

He said plans were underway to provide FDB offices at Misiga, near Bawku and another at Hamile Border Town, in the Upper West Region. Mr Agyarko said the Board had recorded modest achievements in the regulation and monitoring of the activities of sachet water producers and herbal practitioners in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of their products. He said monitoring activities of the Board's Zonal Office in Bolgatanga, had revealed that bakers in the three regions, were using the banned chemical- bromide, in their products despite persistent calls to desist from the harmful practice.

Mr Agyarko said a quantity of expired, uncertified and unlabelled products like canned foods, beverages and herbal drugs were seized and destroyed.

He noted that enforcement of food regulations were being hampered by the ignorance of the majority of the people about such laws. He warned that the Board would blacklist radio stations that continue to flout the ban of advertisements on medical products that have not been registered and certified.

He called on the Media and advertising agencies to consider the social responsibility of protecting consumers.

"You should also ensure that products being advertised are done in conformity with FDB regulations so as to avert being prosecuted in the law courts".

Mr Agyarko said the Board had acquired a condom-testing machine at the cost of about 1.5 billion cedis to test and ensure that imported condoms were of high quality.