Accra, Jan. 29. GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Saturday said it has noticed through its post-market surveillance activities of the distribution and sale of fake hords brown gold cocoa powder on the market.

A statement issued in Accra cautioned the public to be alert, saying the fake product bears features similar to the original product except that the plastic container does not bear the name hords embossed on the bottle neck.

It said Buchberger Enterprise, located at Baatsonaa on the Spintex road was identified as the producer of the fake hords brown gold cocoa powder, and one Patrick Amankwah-Edusei, the owner, has been arrested for further investigations by the police for producing a fake product from an unlicensed facility and under unhygienic conditions contrary to provisions of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDC L 305B).

The operations of Buchberger Enterprise have also been suspended and raw materials, packaging materials as well as finished products found on the premises have been detained for destruction, the statement said.

Activities of Buchberger Enterprise pose a great public health risk as products from the facility have not been evaluated by the FDB and confirmed safe for human consumption.

Retailers and consumers in general who might have received supplies of the counterfeit product or had purchased samples for sale or use are advised to look out for the embossed HORDS logo on the plastic bottle neck.

Any Hords Brown Gold Cocoa Powder found without the embossed logo should not be used as its quality and safety cannot be guaranteed and the FDB should be immediately notified.

The public is also urged not to hesitate to bring to the attention of the FDB any person or persons who may be involved in the production or sale of any fake food product