FDB officer advises consumers to be mindful of food items, drugs

Ho, Sept. 22, GNA - Mrs Nora Narkie Terlarbie, Eastern/Volta Zonal Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Tuesday reminded consumers to be mindful of their health as they patronise food items and drugs on the market.

She said it is in their interest to pay particular attention to the quality, physical appearance and safety of such items because of the negative health risks associated with the consumption of these unwholesome and substandard goods.

Mrs Terlarbie, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, advised consumers to avoid canned foods in rusted and dented containers and scrutinise the manufacturing and expiry dates of food and drug items.

She said the FDB, which is three-months old in the zone is carrying out an overview of the situation on the ground.

Mrs Terlarbie assured manufacturers and importers in the Eastern and Volta regions that the Board was established to assist them to meet international standards rather than to harass them and hoped for their co-operation.

She similarly urged the general public to volunteer information to the Board regarding the safety of foods and drugs on the market as a safeguard against the consumption of unwholesome and unhygienic products.

Mrs Terlarbie admitted that the Board has a daunting task to perform in the Zone, considering the porous nature of the Zone as the country's eastern frontier.

She was however, optimistic that the FDB could prove capable to the task with the co-operation of agencies such as Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Police, District Assemblies and Standard Board within its operational area.

Mrs Terlarbie said the Board would soon undertake a sensitisation workshop for the Ghana Psychic and Traditional Healers Association and sachet water producers in the zone.

She said the mission of the FDB was to protect consumer safety and rights and urged the general public to take advantage of the consumer complaints disposition and report on products, whose quality has been compromised.