The new Ashanti Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Nathaniel Nana Kwabena Nkrumah, has announced sweeping reforms signalling a tougher and more visible regulatory presence in the markets.

In an interview with Luv FM, Mr Nkrumah said the Ashanti Regional FDA is entering a new era of heightened monitoring and rapid enforcement, aimed at flushing out unsafe products and tracking non-compliant traders.

According to him, the Authority is stepping up its surveillance because unsafe practices often thrive in gaps created by bureaucracy and slow administrative processes.

To close those gaps, he has created a special unit to cut delays and speed up regulatory action, ensuring officers can swiftly intervene when safety concerns arise.

Mr Nkrumah stressed that the intensified surveillance will target not only manufacturers but also wholesalers, retailers, food vendors and advertisers.

“Enforcement is non-negotiable,” he said, emphasising that the public should expect more FDA officers on the ground.

As part of the stepped-up surveillance, the FDA will tighten monitoring of food sold at unusually low prices, as such reductions may indicate compromised quality.

The public is also being warned to avoid products without English labelling, which he described as unregistered and unsafe.

He added that officers will be paying closer attention to vendors operating on the move, noting that these mobile sellers pose a tracking challenge during investigations.

Consumers are therefore being urged to buy from stationary vendors and to always look out for the FDA food hygiene permit displayed at food joints.

The surveillance push will also extend to advertisements.

Mr Nkrumah revealed that some companies secure FDA approval but later alter their adverts.

He acknowledged that the region is limited by the absence of a physical FDA laboratory for product testing.

However, he says all samples must still be tested outside the region, adding that the Authority is determined to scale up surveillance despite resource constraints.

Mr Nkrumah said the FDA will soon establish district offices across the Ashanti Region to strengthen on-the-ground monitoring and ensure faster responses to safety concerns.

He underscored the essence of the renewed surveillance drive with a clear message: “You’ll only fear the FDA when you have done the wrong thing.”

According to him, the intensified checks are ultimately designed to protect the ordinary consumer and hold every actor in the supply chain accountable.