The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has confirmed it verified that the 22,000 bags of 50 kg Moshosho Rice imported from India for Senior High Schools were safe for consumption at the time of testing.
Joseph Yaw-Bernie, the Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the FDA, stated, “When the producer applied for the censure which is internationally accepted, we looked at the quality of the product.”
Following the tests, the best-before date of the rice was extended to April 2024, although the manufacturer had requested an extension to December.
The FDA’s confirmation comes in the wake of allegations by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who claimed that 22,000 bags of expired and repackaged rice were distributed to various Senior High Schools across the country. The FDA intervened after receiving a complaint from the police and collaborated with law enforcement to halt the unauthorized activity.
Food and Drugs Authority ‘s Yaw-Bernie Explains Moshosho Rice Scandal for Schools in Ghana
In an interview on Joy FM’s Middaynews, The Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Joseph Yaw-Bernie explained that rigorous tests conducted by the FDA, the Centre for Scientific Research (CSIR), and an accredited laboratory in India confirmed the rice met quality standards.
So those three laboratory tests tell us that the product can still be used based on the qualities that have been tested in the three laboratories and based on that, the best-before date has been extended to April not to December as requested by the manufacturer … it was still safe.
We also required Lamens to provide further evidence from the manufacturer to justify any additional extensions. he explained.
The company involved was sanctioned for operating a facility unlicensed for rice repackaging, conducting repackaging activities without FDA approval, and undertaking the process without supervision. The FDA clarified that the GH¢100,000 fine imposed on Lamens Investments Africa Limited was for these regulatory violations, and not the quality of the Moshosho Rice imported from India.
