The Food and Drugs Board has closed down Cosmos Health Outfit Company producers and distributors of Silver sachet and bottled water which according to the Board, are unregistered and contain abnormally high concentrations of silver ions. The Board has also taken steps to withdraw all the company’s unregistered products from the market. Speaking in an interview with Adom Business News on Tuesday 12th April, the Head of Laboratory Services Department of the Board, Karikari Boateng indicated that the company changed its label claim, which exposes consumers to danger. "They have changed their label claim, we wrote 0.1 ppm and we tested and we found out that it is fifteen times 1.5ppm, that exposes the population to serious danger,’’ he stated. He explained that silver itself is not toxic, but if the human body accumulates more than 10 grams, ingestion of the silver can have serious health implications as it builds up in the body, which leads to a health problem known as Argiria, which manifests as discoloration of the skin, nails and gums. According to the Board the unregistered products bear forged FDB registration numbers as FDB/HP.09-6002 which is deceptive and cannot be substantiated. Mr. Boateng said the products have not been evaluated and approved by the Food and Drugs Board, adding that this act of deception by Cosmos Health Outfit Company contravenes Section 3 of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305B), which states that: “Any person who labels, packages, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, nature, value substance, quality, composition, merit or safety” commits an offence. Currently, two senior officers of the company have also been arrested by the Police CID and are assisting with investigations. He warned manufacturers against the practice of producing anything that contravenes the rules and regulations of the board. "It’s an offence; if you look at section 18 of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305B), [it] states that nobody can put any product on the market unless it has been registered by the board,’’ he added. The FDB has assured the general public of its readiness to ensure public health and safety at all times, in view of that Mr. Boateng said FDB would strengthen its Post-Market Surveillance (PMS) activities. The general public is therefore being advised not to patronize these products from Cosmos Health Outfit Company as their safety cannot be assured. Story by Afia Akyere/Adom News/Ghana