Mrs. Joycelyn Adeline Egyakwa-Amusah, the head of the Food Safety Management Department at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has urged pre-packed food sellers to exercise extreme caution to prevent the distribution of expired goods to customers.
According to her, "as we often say, food safety is a shared duty. The consumer has a part to play, which is why all the information is on the pre-packed food and the seller makes sure that what gets to the customer is not expired."
The safety and quality of any product that has beyond its shelf life or manufactured expiry date, according to the speaker, have been compromised. Anyone who consumes an expired product puts their life in danger.
Mrs. Joycelyn Egyakwa-Amusah urged people to regularly check the expiration date on products.
According to Mrs. Egyakwa-Amusah, the merchants' ongoing inspections would guarantee that the food goods available on the market are of the highest quality and are safe for consumption.
When a product's expiration date is approaching, she advised taking it off the shelves. "As a seller, you are obligated to make sure a product on your shelves has its expiry or best before date clearly visible on it," she said.
She urged the public to get in touch with the Authority and report any expired items or go to the website for such a procedure, stating that FDA will follow up right away to make sure such products are removed.
To avoid consumers consuming dangerous meals, she advised retailers to check their shelves and remove any expired products.
She pointed out that manufacturers include an expiration or best-before date on their items to inform customers that they cannot guarantee the safety of the item after that date.
The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) has a contact point in Ghana, and the Food Safety Management Department is responsible for monitoring and investigating foodborne illness outbreaks at commercial kitchens that make and/or sell cooked meals.
It carries out operational tasks as part of its mandate, such as inspecting food service outlets, such as eateries, food trucks, and catering facilities; keeping an eye out for unregistered facilities; and issuing food hygiene permits to authorised facilities.
Others are expected to investigate customer complaints on the safety and quality of food products, monitor foodborne illness outbreaks, maintain a database on foodborne disease cases, and conduct food safety awareness programmes for consumers, educational institutions, and public spaces.
Additionally, it works along with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to design legislation, guidelines, and codes of practise, as well as to assure food safety at the district level.
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