With effect from February 1, 2021, importers are required to register all new shipments or goods that are already on the high seas before they get into the country.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Food, at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mr. Roderick Daddey-Adjei disclosed this in an interview with the media in Tema.
He said the Authority would not allow importation and clearance of unregistered products into the country.
He said currently, over 20 percent of goods that arrived at the ports are unregistered.
He added that importation of any good that is banned into the country would be re-exported, seized for destruction, or detained.
According to Mr. Daddey-Adjei, the registration would allow the Authority to evaluate the products and ensure that they [goods] are safe for consumption before they arrive in the country.
Sections 99 and 118 of the Public Health Act, Act 851 of 2012, prohibits the importation of unregistered food, drugs, cosmetics, household chemical substances, medical devices, tobacco and substances of abuse.
Despite the prohibition, however, many importers continue to import unregistered products. These products find their way to the market and pose potential health hazards to unsuspecting consumers.
Osei Owusu Amankwaah, ISD
