We were once told, and are still being reminded, to grow Ghana and eat Ghana. Some of us carry Ghana on our sleeves, so even if we cannot wear Ghana every day, we try to cook and eat Ghanaian food, even when one makes the occasional stop at a restaurant.

Doctors and other health professionals do well to encourage us to eat more unprocessed foods and to focus on plant-based foods, which are abundant in our markets, if one wants to live a healthy life.

Local farm foods

However, stories in the media about some local farm foods, vegetables, and fruits are becoming more a cause for concern than a joy to eat. Individual greed and selfishness at the expense of others’ safety is what one is seeing.

In one space, the headline is about contaminated vegetables, some staple foods and fruits coming from illegal mining areas due to the poisonous chemicals used to prospect for gold.

In some other spaces, discussions focus on chemicals used to preserve or embellish food items sold in open markets. 

In the past few years, independent research has made it clear that the activities of illegal miners, also known as “galamsey”, and the indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste have polluted our soils to the point of dangerously compromising the food grown in these same soils.

The most recent stories about sprayed green plantain and some fruits being treated with chemicals ahead of their natural ripening cycle are alarming. What made the stories even more distressing was a viral social media video in which some market women reportedly attested that green plantain and banana sellers were using dangerous chemicals to spray their products.

FDA

Before that demonstration, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had quickly issued a public statement on the specific use of the chemical Ethemax in the plantain ripening case at the Madina market in Accra and confirmed that they were investigating the case.  

According to the statement, the alleged investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Environmental Health Unit of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly.  Sections of the investigation which were reported in the media said FDA had confirmed that “Ethemax contains Ethephon 480 g/l SL as its active ingredient, but the label clearly indicates it is a plant growth regulator with a ‘harmful’ hazard warning.”

Without much ado, I sought to interact with the FDA to find out firsthand what was going on with the alleged spraying of green plantain and to allay fears, or otherwise, given the extent of the panic that had stirred minds. I sought to know if in view of reports in the media, they would take steps to prohibit open market sale of the chemical if allegedly, it has “a harmful hazard warning”.   

The prompt responses from the Authority were quite helpful to anyone hearing about the chemical for the first time. 

Harmful chemical

According to the clarifications I received from the Regulator, it is clear that Ethemax is not, and should not be, new or that alarming, depending on its application. It is classified as a plant growth regulator, intended strictly for controlled agricultural and environmental regulatory bodies. These bodies are therefore “stipulated to enforce proper distribution channels, prevent open-market misuse and apply strict sanctions against vendors engaged in unauthorised retail or off-label application”.

The good news is that, beyond the immediate investigation into the issue at the Madina market, the Authority is taking swift regulatory enforcement actions to identify and sanction the individuals involved in the off-label distribution of the chemical.

The good, perhaps, of the viral application of chemical spraying on foods is definitely the escalation of the Regulator’s presence in our markets and its engagement in market surveillance and monitoring of the present and past alleged use of chemicals by vendors.

What immediately comes to one’s mind is the ban on Sudan IV Dye, which was reportedly used in the past as colouring for palm oil, and also the ban on the use of formalin to preserve and harden salted fish known as “koobi”. These and other bans, I learnt, are still in force.

FDA is assuring consumers and patrons of foods sold in other food markets that it is continuously monitoring food supply chains through routine market sampling, laboratory testing, and nationwide surveillance to ensure that non-permitted chemicals do not enter the food chain.  In the meantime, violators found in default of all bans have been or are being prosecuted.

My take from the short interaction with the FDA confirms for me that, on their end, everything is being done to ensure consumer health and safety regarding foods sold at open markets. That is their job, anyway.   

They did not address the chemical poisoning of farm-grown foods, vegetables, and fruits in Galamsey-affected areas because it was not the focus of our discussion.  In any case, researchers have spent time on this.

If you ask me, farm-grown foods must be selected with caution. Caution: wash them thoroughly under running water, cook them thoroughly, and avoid consuming them raw. That is the way to go.

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You can contact the writer via email at vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com