Consumption of substandard foods— our health suffers

Thursday, June 16, 2011
ON February 17, 2011, President J.E.A Miills in the State of the Nation Address stated that “In respect of the Ghana Standards Board and the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), I expect them to collaborate to stop the dumping of substandard goods on the Ghanaian market”.
For the issue to find space in such an important document as the one under reference explains the level it had assumed.
In a recent article in the Daily Graphic, a retired civil servant and an educationist, Mr K. B. Asante wrote that imports could not be allowed to ruin our economy as shoddy and substandard goods flood the country.
He went on to state that “toxic waste of foreign countries should not be tolerated in the country. The waste they generate is a dangerous one. The polluted atmosphere they create kills. We also deserve healthy life”.
Substandard goods may be genuine products produced by legitimate manufacturers but do not meet the quality specifications that the producer says they meet.
In another vein, what is referred to as adulterated products comprise fake ingredients in recycled genuine packaging of known and legitimate brands that could deceive the consumer.
It is important to note that all counterfeit products are substandard because they are manufactured and distributed outside of regulatory control and their composition is unpredictable. In fact, one cannot be sure what they contain.
Substandard goods in any form and shape are bad but they become even dangerous when they involve food items which are consumed directly.
In Ghana, the issue of the importation of substandard goods is serious because we have no idea of the volume and quantity of such goods which enter our borders.
According to the Deputy Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Mr John Odame Darkwah, who is in charge of Foods, explained that the fluid nature of the Ghanaian market made it difficult to assess the situation properly.
He explained that things would have been easier if there were specific entry points where such items were checked to know which ones were of quality and which ones were substandard adding that Ghana’s free market policy allowed all manner of products to come to the country.
The President of the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA), Mr Charles A. Cofie, looked at the issue in a broader sense when he wrote a paper on: “Illicit trade and counterfeit goods- The Impact on National Development”.
On the topic, he described substandard goods as genuine products produced by legitimate manufacturers that did not meet the quality specifications that the producer said they met.
Going further, he brought in counterfeiting and said it “delivers the benefits of skilled labour, efficient distribution and product technology without the associated investment in costly research, development and marketing in products that are not genuine brands”.
In 2004, the World Customs Organisation estimated the global trade in counterfeit products to be worth $512 billion and growing exponentially.
In Ghana, the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) and the Food and Drugs Board are trying to, if not stop the practice, reduce the importation of substandard goods to ensure consumer safety and protection.
It was in that direction that the Ashanti Regional Manager, Mr Charles Amoako, of the GSB said the board was determined to make sure that there was quality assurance to rid the market of fake and inferior products.
He, however, said the board would require the co-operation of other regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FDB and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to achieve this.
Mr Amoako was addressing a day's forum organised by the GSB for importers in the region. More than 150 importers and representatives from the Trade and Industry Ministry, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), FDB, EPA and NPA participated.
The meeting carefully examined the challenges the board faced and identified ways of addressing issues related to safety, quality and compatibility, enhanced sustainability and good regulatory practices. It also adopted effective strategies for collaboration in the protection of consumers and the environment.
The topics discussed included: "Inspection of high-risk goods and its challenges," "The role of CEPS in combating the clearance of counterfeit and substandard goods" and "The destination inspection scheme - a tool for consumer protection".
Mr Amoako gave the assurance that the GSB would see to it that designated goods were suitable and safe for consumer use before they were allowed for distribution and sale in the country.
To assist in getting rid of substandard goods in Ghana, Finatrade, a major importer and distributor of rice and other food items, raised concerns about substandard products on the Ghanaian market, and mentioned especially, a bad version of the famous Uncle Sam Rice.
The message of Finatrade, as contained in a newspaper advertisement, cautioned members of the public to be wary of substandard and dangerous food products and not to take things for granted but probe further what they bought.
This is enough to get consumers worried. The reason being that if such substandard goods can find their way onto the local market, it is possible that the authorities who are employed to check such things on our behalf are not doing their work well.
Apart from that, there is also the issue of political interference as it is found in many cases where people in authority do all that they can to help those at fault to beat the system.
The unfortunate aspect of the issue is that many of these alleged offenders are foreign companies yet they are able to get Ghanaians to come to their aid eventhough their activities affect the health of Ghanaians.