The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has sounded a strong warning over the growing sale of palm oil adulterated with industrial Sudan dyes on the Ghanaian market, describing the practice as a serious public health threat and calling for stricter enforcement of food safety regulations across the country.
According to the President of the Ghana Medical Association, Professor Ernest Yorke, scientific evidence has shown that Sudan Red dyes, industrial chemicals illegally used to enhance the colour of palm oil, are carcinogenic and can significantly increase the risk of cancer and other life-threatening health conditions when consumed over time.
Speaking to the press at the 26th Annual Public Lecture held in Koforidua, Professor Yorke commend government regulators, particularly the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), and other relevant agencies, to intensifying market surveillance and strictly enforcing food safety laws to protect consumers.
Professor Yorke also advised the public to cultivate the habit of carefully reading food labels and purchasing food products only from trusted and certified sources. He stressed that increasing public awareness is critical to reducing foodborne diseases and preventing avoidable illnesses.
He lamented that many Ghanaians continue to suffer from preventable diseases linked to unsafe food handling practices, poor food preservation methods and the illegal use of harmful chemicals in food production and processing.
“From production to transportation, storage and marketing, food safety must be our priority. The indiscriminate application of chemicals to food products poses a significant danger to public health,” Professor Yorke emphasized.
Also speaking at the event, Professor Amos Laar of the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, underscored the need for stronger government policies and effective enforcement mechanisms to promote safe food production, processing and distribution throughout the country.
He explained that unsafe food handling and contamination expose consumers to food poisoning, infections, chronic diseases and, in severe cases, death. He therefore urged all stakeholders in the food value chain, including farmers, processors, transporters, traders and regulators, to adhere strictly to established food safety standards.
Professor Laar noted that improving food safety requires coordinated action through effective legislation, routine inspections, consumer education and sustained investment in food quality assurance systems.
The public lecture attracted a broad spectrum of participants, including healthcare professionals, traditional leaders, academics, students, policymakers, food vendors, traders and representatives of regulatory institutions, all of whom deliberated on practical strategies to strengthen food safety in Ghana.
The 26th Annual Public Lecture, held under the theme, “Food Safety in Contemporary Ghana: Public Health Concerns for the Consumer,” highlighted the urgent need for collective action to safeguard public health and ensure that every Ghanaian has access to safe, wholesome and nutritious food.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
