The Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Thursday safely disposed off some unwholesome products.

They were seized from 505 shops in the Sunyani, Techiman and Dormaa Central Municipalities and Tano South, Atebubu-Amantin, Jaman South and Sunyani-West districts.

The products were from 389 grocery shops, 15 pharmacies, 67 licenced chemical stores, 11 herbal shops and 23 cosmetics shops.

Mr Jeremiah Ewudzie-Sampson, Regulatory Officer, FDA Sunyani briefing newsmen on behalf of Mr Matthew Gyang Nkum, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of FDA, at the Sunyani landfill site said the cost of products destroyed were estimated at about GH¢62,289.

The products were safely disposed off in the presence of personnel from the Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Food products were estimated at about GH¢16,289.76, drugs were GH¢44,064.40, household chemicals GH¢85.00, cosmetics GH¢1,200.00 and medical devices GH¢700.

Mr Ewudzie-Sampson explained that the products were seized during routine and ‘special’ Post Market Surveillance (PMS) in the municipalities and districts in the fourth quarter of 2013.

He said the seized products were safely disposed off due to their risk on public health and safety, adding “The FDA urges shop owners and attendants to practise First-in-First- Out (FIPO) principle and proper segregation of products in their facilities”.

“Shop owners and attendants must also desist from displaying products for sale in the sun and keep good personal and environmental hygiene while consumers should not patronize products sold under direct sunlight, expired, compromised and unregistered products,” Mr Ewudzie-Sampson added.

He intimated that the FDA realized during their recent PMS that some consumers did not even know that cosmetics had expiry dates, and therefore advised the general public to be cautious of goods and items they purchased during the Christmas festivities to avoid the consumption of unwholesome products to prevent jeopardizing their health and safety.

Answering questions from newsmen, Mr Ewuidzie-Sampson said in the past because some of the people did not know and understand the significance of the exercise there were resistance and attacks on them but now they had the necessary co-operation for effective exercises.

However, he expressed worry that a major challenge to prevent the consumption of unwholesome products was ignorance as a result of illiteracy.

“Most people purchased goods and items without checking or ascertaining their wholesomeness because they did not have the slightest idea or knowledge that the products might have expired and therefore not wholesome for consumption,” Mr Ewuidzie-Sampson added.