The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has seized about a truckload of flood-damaged bottled water and soft drinks allegedly being washed and prepared for resale in Accra following recent flooding.
The affected products were discovered at a residence in Bubiashie after the shop of a beverage distributor at Alajo was flooded.
According to the FDA, consumer complaints prompted investigations, which revealed that the flood-affected drinks were being cleaned at the residence for possible resale.
The Authority said the seized bottled water and soft drinks were covered in mud, while the bottles and their packaging showed visible signs of exposure to floodwater.
The FDA has since taken all the affected products found at the premises for safe disposal.
A similar incident was also reported to the Ghana Police Service at Kaneshie, where the owner of the products was arrested and later granted bail. A comparable quantity of flood-damaged beverages was also seized in that case.
The FDA warned consumers against buying or consuming beverages that have been exposed to floodwater, stressing that simply washing the exterior of the products does not make them safe for consumption.
The Authority explained that floodwater can carry sewage, refuse and other contaminants, while bottle caps, seals and packaging may be compromised when products are submerged.
It warned that consuming such contaminated products could expose people to serious water-borne diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery.
The FDA urged consumers to avoid products showing mud stains, watermarks, or labels that are stained, peeling or discoloured.
It also advised the public to be cautious of beverages sold from unusual locations or hawked in bulk without a clear source, and encouraged consumers to purchase drinks only from reputable and licensed outlets.
The Authority further directed manufacturers, distributors and retailers whose stocks were affected by the floods not to wash, repackage, relabel or resell them.
Instead, such products should be quarantined and the nearest FDA office notified for verification and safe disposal.
The FDA said the sale or distribution of contaminated or unwholesome food contravenes the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), and offenders could face seizure of their products and prosecution.
The Authority said it would continue surveillance and enforcement operations in flood-affected communities to protect public health and safety.
Members of the public have also been encouraged to report the sale of flood-affected food and drinks to the FDA or the police, or through the FDA contact numbers 0551112224 and 0551112225.
SOURCE: GNA