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15th June, 2011
Foreign Goods With Arabic, Chinese Labels Flood Market
Some consumers have expressed worry about the upsurge of imported products labeled in foreign languages such as Arabic and Chinese, which have flooded the market.
These products, mainly consumables, include food drinks, canned products, medicines and electrical appliances.
“Times” investigations indicated that though some of these products are written in English, the information is so scanty that consumers do not get the needed information on the usage of the product.
Some consumers interviewed on the phenomenon said the situation was quite worrisome considering the health implications it posed to them.
Mr. Joshua Otoo, a consumer who bought a medicine labeled in Chinese queried why the regulatory bodies will allow such products onto the market.
“How can an English speaking country like Ghana import goods and products which are labeled in foreign languages other than English, how we know the expiry dates, and even know the efficacy and side effects of a medicine which has its labeling in foreign languages”, he queried.
Others blamed the Food and Drugs Board for not ensuring the safety of consumers by allowing such products into the market.
The Public Relations Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Mr. James Lartey has discounted the claim that they allow such products onto the market.
According to him, these products are smuggled into the country without his outfits’ knowledge.
“I can tell you that the FDB has not authorised that these products should be on the markets. They are smuggled products”, he stressed.
Giving some of the reasons why these products get smuggled into the country, the Ag. Head of Food and Inspectorate of FDB, Mr. Kofi Essel, attributed it to the administrative lapses on the part of the regulatory bodies.
He explained that the mandate of the regulatory bodies such as the Customs, Exercises Preventive Service, (CEPS), the Ghana Standards Board and the Food and Drugs Board are not “cut out”.
“We need to streamline the operations of the regulatory bodies, for instance the role of the FDB at the port to make it easier for these products to be trucked”, he emphasized.
He added that though his outfit regularly conducted “post market surveillance” to seize these products, the FDB could not ensure “100 per cent” surveillance without the assistance of consumers.
He explained that it is not only the duty of the regulatory bodies to ensure that these products are not patronized, but all stakeholders including retailers and consumers.
“If you do not patronise these products, the smugglers will be at a loss and will, therefore, be compelled not to import such products”, he said.
“Why would you want to trade your safety and health for cheap products”, he queried.
These products, mainly consumables, include food drinks, canned products, medicines and electrical appliances.
“Times” investigations indicated that though some of these products are written in English, the information is so scanty that consumers do not get the needed information on the usage of the product.
Some consumers interviewed on the phenomenon said the situation was quite worrisome considering the health implications it posed to them.
Mr. Joshua Otoo, a consumer who bought a medicine labeled in Chinese queried why the regulatory bodies will allow such products onto the market.
“How can an English speaking country like Ghana import goods and products which are labeled in foreign languages other than English, how we know the expiry dates, and even know the efficacy and side effects of a medicine which has its labeling in foreign languages”, he queried.
Others blamed the Food and Drugs Board for not ensuring the safety of consumers by allowing such products into the market.
The Public Relations Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Mr. James Lartey has discounted the claim that they allow such products onto the market.
According to him, these products are smuggled into the country without his outfits’ knowledge.
“I can tell you that the FDB has not authorised that these products should be on the markets. They are smuggled products”, he stressed.
Giving some of the reasons why these products get smuggled into the country, the Ag. Head of Food and Inspectorate of FDB, Mr. Kofi Essel, attributed it to the administrative lapses on the part of the regulatory bodies.
He explained that the mandate of the regulatory bodies such as the Customs, Exercises Preventive Service, (CEPS), the Ghana Standards Board and the Food and Drugs Board are not “cut out”.
“We need to streamline the operations of the regulatory bodies, for instance the role of the FDB at the port to make it easier for these products to be trucked”, he emphasized.
He added that though his outfit regularly conducted “post market surveillance” to seize these products, the FDB could not ensure “100 per cent” surveillance without the assistance of consumers.
He explained that it is not only the duty of the regulatory bodies to ensure that these products are not patronized, but all stakeholders including retailers and consumers.
“If you do not patronise these products, the smugglers will be at a loss and will, therefore, be compelled not to import such products”, he said.
“Why would you want to trade your safety and health for cheap products”, he queried.
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