Scientists at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology want the Food and Drugs Authority to intensify surveillance on ginger powder sold on the market.

The call is in response to a study contained in the journal, Heliyon which found that all the Ghana-made ginger powder failed labelling standards. Only one of the three Ghana-made products was registered with the FDA.

Ginger is indispensable in our homes, especially in cuisine. Its usage increased during the height of the covid-19 pandemic as many perceived it to possess anti-Covid-19 activity, especially in reducing lung inflammation.

This study sought to find out the quality of powdered ginger products on the Ghanaian market.

The samples were taken from three major markets in Ghana and this consisted of three local and four foreign ginger powders.

The Ghanaian samples failed labeling requirements compared to other foreign brands, which met these standards.

Two of these did not have manufacturer's information, batch numbers and expiry dates and one completely without a label.

“The present research depicts local manufacturers of ginger powder in Ghana to be non-adherent to labelling requirements as stipulated by regulation.

“Two of these local products were not registered and by inference, not institutionally monitored (as indicated by the absence of an FDA number) yet sold on the market without restraint,” said Isaac Kingsley Amponsah of the Department of Pharmacognosy.

Again, the scientists didn’t find significant levels of harmful bacteria, fungi, and toxic metals. "The burden lies on the regulatory agency of the country to ensure compliance with standards through periodic surveillance"