The Central Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed 2.3 tonnes of unwholesome products worth GH¢214,000.

The products, include drugs, food, cosmetics, household chemical substances and mechanical devices.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Cape Coast, Mr John Odai-Tettey, the Regional Head of the Authority, said the move was part of measures to help protect the health and safety of consumers.

The items were seized through regular post market surveillance (PMS) activities in warehouses, pharmacies, supermarkets and voluntary donation of expired products from June to December 2020.

Mr Odai-Tettey pledged the FDA's resolve to intensify its market surveillance and inspections to drastically reduce the illegal peddling or sale of unregulated items to safeguard the health of consumers.

He said education and sensitisation for stakeholders was on-going to encourage the operators to surrender their unwholesome products to the FDA for safe disposal.

The Regional FDA Boss entreated sales points, distributors, warehouse operators, among others to surrender the unwholesome products to the FDA for safe disposal as failure to do so could cause unnecessary harm to consumers and they could face prosecution.

He urged consumers to look out for expiry dates of products and their physical appearance to be sure they were not blotted, rusty, or heavily dented before buying them.

Consumers should also be wary of unscrupulous persons who might want to deface products by wrapping-off ‘best before’ or expiry dates.

"It is not a problem if someone reduces the cost of the product but one needs to thoroughly examine it to make sure it is in English Language and product validity is intact," he advised.

Mr Odai-Tettey encouraged consumers to inform the FDA when they see expired or unwholesome products being displayed for sale.