Officials of the Food and Drugs Authority in the Ashanti Region have warned individuals who have embossed unapproved labels on locally produced hand sanitizers to desist from the act.
The officials say they have noticed the trend in the Ashanti region where some individuals task manufacturers to emboss their pictures on the product in an attempt to be recognized as owners of the sanitizers.
“We have seen the trend in the Ashanti region whereby certain persons are asking manufacturers who have been registered to produce hand sanitizers to put their own labels on the product”.
Speaking in an interview with Oyerepa FM’s Nana Jantuah, the Ashanti Regional Head of the FDA, Nora Narkie Terlarbi, said even though the practice is allowed, individuals and manufacturers must submit the labels to be approved by the FDA before embossment.
She noted that the labels on the products must be in line with L.I.1541 of the Ghana Standards Board General Labeling rules, 1992, adding that despite the company and product being registered the label must be approved by the FDA.
“Even though the company has been licensed and its products registered by us, you still have to submit that particular label with the picture to FDA for us to accept the label before you can place it on the hand sanitizer,” she said.
“Whether you are giving it as a gift or selling it, so long as you are producing and packaging it the able must be looked at and must obey the L.I.1541 of the Ghana Labelling regulations,” she noted.
Locally manufactured hand sanitizers must meet the 70% alcohol requirement
As part of the Food and Drugs Authority’s ongoing commitment to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Mrs. Nora Narkie Terlarbi called on manufacturers to produce hand sanitizers with the required 70% alcohol content.
Because of an increased demand for alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports of some consumers attempting to make hand sanitizers for personal use in the region.
The concern we have especially in the Ashanti Region is that we have realized some identifiable groups who have gathered their members and are teaching them how to produce hand sanitizers, an initiative which is good, but some of them do not produce the with a 70% alcohol hence the need to allow the FDA check,” she said in an interview with Oyerepa News.
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Story by: John Essien/focusnewsroom.com
