FDA Trains Local Businesses on Licensing

The Eastern Regional office of the Food and Drugs Authority has held a licensing training exercise for local businesses in the region to ensure compliance with FDA laws.

The training was done based on the astounding number of businesses found without operational licenses, through a routine surveillance of the area by the FDA.

The surveillance was done by the FDA as mandated by the Public Health Acts 2012, Acts 851 to verify if businesses were up to code and were licensed.

The businesses included food vendors, bakers, and meat shop owners.

Speaking at the launch of the training program, the Eastern Regional Head of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mr. Samuel Kwakye stated that the aim of the sensitization training was to aid local businesses in learning the laws governing their business and how to regularize their operations.

According to him, the training would not cease but would be held whenever businesses are found to be in contravention of the law.

He assured participants that the FDA would offer support to their businesses so that their goods would be safe for consumption.

Mr. Kwakye reiterated that the FDA’s main objective was to ensure quality, efficacy, and safety of food, drugs, household chemicals, cosmetics, tobacco, and medical devices to ensure public safety and not interested in destroying peoples business.

Speaking at the training, the Head of the Industrial Support Service Unit of the Eastern Regional Office of the FDA, Mr. Peter Alordji advised all participants to purchase the materials used in the preparation of their food from approved and reliable sources, especially food vendors and chop bar owners.

He advised them to keep proper records of their activities and cautioned them to adhere to good manufacturing practices to ensure that the food they prepare for sale is of quality and free from any microbial contaminants which will make the food unwholesome.

“The FDA has the mandate to close down any businesses whose activities pose a threat to public health and safety,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer of the FDA, Mr. George Ampofo Ayeh said the authority would begin to hunt and punish businesses who operate without certification and advised all producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters of food, drugs to regularize their operations in line with the provisions of the FDA.

The participants of the training were grateful to the FDA for the training and assured them that they would share the knowledge received to their colleagues in the towns and cities.