The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned vendors, who are taking advantage of the Christmas and New Year festivities to sell relabelled expired products to desist from the act since it is against the law.

It said although the Authority had increased its surveillance to check these illegal activities of some vendors, it could not cover every corner of the country.

It has, therefore, called on consumers to be wary of these illegal activities by checking every product they purchase of their expiry dates, explaining: “If you notice it has been altered, please do report to the nearest FDA office for prompt action to be taken.”

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr James Lartey, Head of Communications of FDA, said it had come to the notice of the Authority that some people are relabeling their expired products to sell to innocent Ghanaians, “but our people are out there checking these things and we will need the …public to help us fight this evil canker.”

He also advised consumers to desist from buying dented can foods, since the inner layer of can could have been damaged thereby coming into direct contact with the food.

This he said could be dangerous to the health of the consumer, adding, “the chemicals used in molding the can, has chemicals that are injurious to the health of people”.

Mr Lartey advised consumers to also look out for blotted cans, which could mean that the product could be damaged and might contained microbial activities harmful to health.

He advised consumers to always taste and smell products they buy to detect any unusual taste or smell, adding: “If it is a product that you are familiar with, you can easily detect any change and that will help us know that it has expired or spoilt”.

He urged consumers not to engage in any argument when they notice that the product they have bought has expired but instead report to the FDA, saying, “Such exchanges make it difficult to arrest the culprits”.