The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has intensified consumer education and regulatory enforcement in the Eastern Region following findings from a national assessment report on heavy metal contaminants in some market foods and cosmetic products.
Madam Anita Owusu-Kuffour, the Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, said the surveillance assessed levels of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Mercury (Hg) in turmeric, cereal mixes, bentonite clay (commonly known as ayilor), kohl (Kaji Kaji), and skin-lightening creams and lotions.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement at the Central Mosque in Koforidua, she disclosed that kohl products recorded a 77 percent failure rate for lead contamination, prompting the FDA to target high-risk areas for regulatory action.
Unbranded products from open markets and retail shops are being scrutinised to ensure consumer safety.
“These products, when applied to the body, can damage the kidneys and nervous system,” Madam Owusu-Kuffour warned, adding that, “the presence of heavy metals in some cosmetics and foods is new information to many, so we are intensifying public education at market centres, hospitals, churches, and mosques.”
At the Central Mosque, the FDA officials translated the information into local dialects to ensure wider understanding.
Alhaji Suleman Salifu Ahmed, Secretary to the Council of Zongo Chiefs in the Eastern Region, pledged to share the information with community members during meetings and social gatherings.
Mr. Joseph Gyau Yeboah, Principal Regulatory Officer at the FDA Enforcement Unit in Koforidua, advised the public to be vigilant about the products they consume and to verify FDA approval.
He also urged producers to begin the registration process to ensure their products undergo scientific testing.
To safeguard consumers, the Food and Drugs Authority has rolled out key measures which were developing new guidelines and tightening oversight for kohl products, including stronger port surveillance, expanding safety checks for cereal mixes and initiated recalls of contaminated brands.
Other measures were nationwide recalls of implicated turmeric products and stricter inspection of imports, gathering information on the activities of bentonite clay producers to inform regulatory interventions while engaging them on safer practices, and rolling out public education campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of heavy metal exposure.
The FDA reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health through continuous surveillance, enforcement, and education.
GNA
