Accra, April 11, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board on Monday advised the public not to patronise water and products from Cosmos Health Outfit Company, because their practices pose serious threat to public health safety.

The FDB has also closed down the operations of the company and taken steps to withdraw all its unregistered products from the market. Two senior officers of the company have also been arrested by the Police Criminal Investigations Department and are assisting with investigations, according to a statement issued by Dr Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive Officer of FDB.

It said Cosmos Health Outfit Company was found producing and distributing unregistered products including sachet and bottled water containing abnormally high concentrations of silver ions. It said silver has no known function in the body nor is it an essential mineral supplement.

"Rather, ingestion of silver can have serious health implications. As it builds up in the human body, it leads to a health problem known as Argiria, which manifests as discoloration of the skin, nails and gums. Argiria is irreversible and cannot be treated." It said other side effects resulting from the ingestion of silver may include health problems such as seizures or fits, kidney damage, stomach distress, headaches, fatigue and skin irritation. Silver may also interfere with the body's absorption of some drugs, such as quinolones (e.g. Ciprofloxacin), tetracyclines and thyroxine.

FDB listed the unregistered products being produced and distributed by Cosmos Health Outfit Company include as Silver Protected Mineral Water packaged in 0.5l and 1.5l bottles; Sachet Water; Ionic Silver Solution as an immune system booster and 99.9 per cent Ionic Silver Spray for external use.

"All these unregistered products bear forged FDB registration numbers as FDB/HP.09-6002. The Silver Protected Mineral Water (bottled water) and the sachet water were found labelled as containing silver ions and sold as drinking water with health claims imprinted on the labels as 91Protects the body against all kinds of diseases.' "This claim is deceptive and cannot be substantiated. Moreover the products have not been evaluated and approved by the Food and Drugs Board. This act of deception by Cosmos Health Outfit Company contravenes Section 3 of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305B), which states that: 91any person who labels, packages, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, nature, value substance, quality, composition, merit or safety" commits an offence.'"

The FDB said the Ionic Silver Spray had the following claims on the label; 93nature's most powerful immune system booster and broad spectrum antibacterial. Widely researched and accepted as a natural viricide, bactericide and fungicide, excellent as a prophylactic. It stimulates the growth of new cells in injury and burns".

The FDB said this claim also contravened Section 14 of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305B), which states that: 93any person who labels, sells or advertises drug, cosmetic, medical device or household chemical in contravention of any regulations made under this law, or in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, constitution, value, potency, quality, composition, merit or safety commits an offence".

The FDB said laboratory analysis of these unregistered products showed abnormally high levels of silver ions concentrations, some of which were 10 times more than the declared concentrations on the labels.

The FDB assured the public of its readiness to ensure public health and safety at all times and therefore appealed for information on persons suspected to be in any practice that compromises public health and safety through any of the following contacts: 0244-337235; 0244-337247; 0244-337251 and 0244-385086.