The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing food products by carefully checking labels for critical safety and quality information.

According to the GSA, consumers have a right to know what is in the products they consume and should avoid items that lack clear details on nutritional fortification.

Nana Pokua Asare-Twerefuo, Head of Foods, Chemicals, and Material Standards at the GSA, shared this message at a recent stakeholder engagement workshop on fortified food standards held in Accra.

She emphasized the importance of label transparency, saying, "As an average consumer, it's important to check the information on the products we buy.

This information is there to guide and educate us about what we're consuming. You have a right to know what's in your food."

Mrs. Asare-Twerefuo encouraged consumers to avoid products without clear labeling, noting that labels should indicate, for example, if a product has been fortified.

"If you're purchasing a product without clear labeling, it's best to avoid it," she added.

The stakeholder engagement on fortified food standards aimed to encourage collaborative discussions on current standards for fortified foods and explore ways to improve them to meet both consumer needs and regulatory requirements.