FDA working to discourage growers use of polluted irrigation sources

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says it is working with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to discourage growers who use polluted sources of irrigation.

A Joy News documentary last week revealed the practice is dominant in most parts of the country, with experts warning it’s a major cause of food poisoning.

Experts are warning the food consumed could be killing consumers slowly with or without their knowledge thanks to both deliberate and inadvertent contamination.

Such contamination by both living and non-living things could happen from the farm during production, through transportation, storage and food preparation.

Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo in his latest Hotline Documentary ‘Poison on the Menu’ puts the spotlight on some of these forms of contamination including the use of polluted sources of water for irrigation and wrongful application of pesticides.

In the documentary, victims of food poisoning share their harrowing near-death experiences as a result of the consumption of contaminated foods.

Researchers at KNUST reveal details of studies that show selected vegetables being consumed in the Kumasi Metropolis including carrot, cabbage and green pepper had been contaminated with high levels of residue and faecal matter.

But Head of Agro Products and Biosafety Department at FDA Roderick Daddey-Adjei tells Joy News education is on-going to encourage farmers to use wholesome irrigation sources.

“There may be some who could be using gutter water but with the education that has gone down through collaborations, if they dare to do it will be on the blind side of the public.

“So they are aware that they have to use wholesome pipe-borne water or any clean source of water,” he added.

He said since salad is not going to be heated, the leaves and other ingredients should not put the consumers’ health at risk.