The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has taken note of a video about the pH values of several brands of bottled water that has reappeared on YouTube with concern.
A statement from the Authority said, the video suggests that some brands have pH values which are out of the allowable pH range, are impure, and not suitable for drinking.
The FDA wants to reaffirm that the Ghana Standards Authority and the World Health Organization recommend that drinking water’s pH values be between 6.5 and 8.5
“Packaged and bottled water with a pH within this range and registered by the Authority are suitable for drinking” it emphasized.
It added that using a calibrated pH meter, the pH, a specification in the drinking water standard, is objectively tested for regulatory judgments.
“It said unscientific and crude methods using unreferenced scale such as the one deployed in the video lack precision and therefore cannot inform any regulatory decisions. It is worthy of note that the gentleman in the said video failed to boldly show his face. Albeit, the FDA is working with the security agencies to apprehend and institute criminal proceedings against him” it noted.
The FDA, therefore, advises the public to disregard sponsored content and materials that promote unhealthy competition to favour some brands while creating fear and panic among consumers.
It urged consumers to promptly report such videos to the Authority and check the registration status of packaged/bottled drinking water and all other regulated products from label of the product before purchased.
Grace Acheampong, ISD
