The Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Police have arrested six individuals in Kumasi for their involvement in the sale of fake herbal products.
The operation was conducted as part of the FDA's routine market surveillance to clamp down on illegal activities of perpetrators dealing in unregistered herbal products.
The arrested culprits include two community information centre operators and four herbal product dealers, all of whom have been granted bail pending further investigations.
According to Mr John Laryea Odai-Tettey, the Regional Head of the FDA, the Public Health Act, of 2012 empowers the FDA to ensure that food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemical substances, blood, blood products, and tobacco are safe for the public consumption.
Therefore, the Authority has the responsibility to ensure that such products comply with the safety and quality standards prescribed by the Act.
Mr Odai-Tettey stressed the need for public safety and urged the public to support the FDA in its efforts to clamp down on the illegal activities of miscreants dealing in unregistered herbal products.
He further urged manufacturers of herbal and other regulated products to submit their products for scrutiny by the FDA to ensure they are safe for public consumption.
The Regional Head also warned that failure by manufacturers to submit their products for verification would violate the Act, and such recalcitrant manufacturers would be brought to book in the interest of public health.
Mr Odai-Tettey advised the public to purchase products from registered and recognized dealers such as pharmacies and licensed over-the-counter chemical sellers to ensure their own safety.
Additionally, wholesalers and retailers of herbal products must ensure they purchase from licensed manufacturers to avoid falling victim to the operations of the FDA.
