Accra, Aug.5, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Friday said its post market surveillance activity recently has revealed that Kingdom Herbal Centre was still in operation although the management claimed it had suspended operations.

A statement issued by the FDB in Accra and copied to GNA said since 2009, the FDB suspended operations of Kingdom Herbal Centre; but the management defied the suspension and continued manufacturing its products under unhygienic conditions.

The manufacturing premises of Kingdom Herbal Centre was closed down in November 2009 by the FDB due to poor hygienic conditions in contravention o= f the Food and Drugs Law section 16(1)(b) of the FDB Law. The statement said during a visit to centre on Saturday, July 30, this year the workers were painting and scrubbing the premises. In addition, there were finished goods, raw materials that had gone mouldy and some processed products indicating that the centre was manufacturing herbal medicines.

It said some of the packaging had manufacturing dates of 91Jan 2011= ', =91September 2010' indicating that management was in operation during the period, a clear violation of the Food and Drugs Law. The FDB said despite several attempts to get the management bring its products into compliance, it had refused to adhere to the directives. It therefore advised the general public that it could not guarantee th= e quality, safety and efficacy of those herbal medicines since they had not been certified.

"The public is advised to ignore the false and misleading therapeuti= c claims being made on the airwaves that the herbal medicines from Kingdom Herbal Centre can treat Cancers, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, and Candidiasis. "Anyone who patronises these herbal medicines from Kingdom Herbal Centre, does so at his/her own risk since they have not been registered by the FDB therefore, the quality, safety and efficacy, including therapeutic claims cannot be guaranteed," the statement added.

The FDB assured the general public that it would continue to execute its mandate to protect public health and safety at all times; and would continue to support manufacturers of herbal medicines to enable them to produce medicines that would not pose a threat to public health and safety. Meanwhile, the unwholesome products and raw materials seized from the premises would be destroyed under the supervision of the FDB.