NADMO says expired food items distributed to flood victims in the Upper West region, were not purchased by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to NADMO’s Communications Director, George Kwadwo Ayisi, the expired items which were isolated in their Warehouse in Wa, were accidentally loaded onto the truck and ended up in the homes of flood victims.
The Vice President over the weekend led NADMO to distribute relief items including mattresses, rice and cooking oil to hundreds of persons who lost their livelihoods in the last couple of weeks to floods following spillage of Bagre Dam. The plight of the affected residents worsened with the onset of torrential rains that hit the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions.
But the move by the disaster management body to ameliorate the sufferings of displaced residents ended up causing another disaster, as some persons who consumed the expired products are reported to have visited health posts for medical care.
Joy News correspondent in the Upper West Region, Rafiq Salaam reported that some persons who unknowingly consumed the unwholesome product claimed to have experienced tummy upsets.
The Food and Drugs Authority says it has initiated investigations into the circumstances that led to the expired products being distributed to the flood victims.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the distribution of the expired oil to Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Daniel Dadzie, Wednesday, George Ayisi said they set aside the six cartons of expired cooking oil at the NADMO Warehouse in Wa for stocktaking by their internal auditor.
“The boys that were loading thought those items were part of the items and added the six cartons of the oil,” the Communications officer stated.
“We’ve accepted full responsibility…we are all moving to Wa [Upper West Region capital] this morning to see the situation [and] if there’s the need to probe the situation we will do that,” he assured.
Describing the situation as a “very unfortunate incident,” Mr. Ayisi hinted that NADMO may take up the medical bill for those who suffered complications after consuming the products. “We want to see such individuals and see how NADMO can help them get treatment,” he added.
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Food safety law
The General Labelling Rules, 1992, subsection 1 of section 9 of the Standards Decree, 1973 (N.R.C.D. 173) states: “No person shall offer for sale, sell distribute, import or otherwise dispose of prepackaged food or drug, unless the food or drug is marked or labelled with;
(a) the name of the food or drug
(b) a list of ingredients in the food or in respect of drugs, active ingredients, showing the amount of each present inthe drug
(c) an indication of the minimum durability in the form of
(i) date of manufacture and expiry date or best before date or use-by-date in respect to food or
(ii) date of manufacture and expiry date in respect of drugs.”
Offenders of this law are liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding GH¢200,000.00 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or both.