Eastern Regional FDA office educates bakers on good manufacturing practices

Nkawkaw (E/R), Aug. 02, GNA – The Eastern Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged stakeholders in food service establishment particularly bakers, on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), product registration and licensing requirements, at Nkawkaw in the Kwahu West Municipality.

Madam Anita Owusu-Kuffour, the Eastern Regional Head of the Food and Drugs Authority said the engagement aimed to promote food safety as part of the ‘Buy Ghana Love Ghana Campaign’.

She said the Campaign, encouraged Ghanaians to prioritise made in Ghana goods by increasing awareness of their quality, affordability, and benefits to the local economy.

She urged owners of the foodservice establishment to work with improved standards to meet the necessary criterion, to be competitive on the world market.

During a stakeholder’s engagement at Nkawkaw, a prime location for bakery products, Madam Owusu-Kuffour said the training programmewas to also ensure that participants complied with the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) Section 97: (1) and (4).

She said the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) Section 97: (1) states that, A person shall not manufacture, import, export, distribute, or sell or supply food or expose food for sale, unless they had been registered with the Authority.

Again, “Section 97 (4) also states that, Authority shall register the food if it is satisfied that the food complies with the prescribed standards, and the manufacturing operations for the food complies with the prescribed current codes of good manufacturing practices,” she said.

Madam Owusu-Kuffour said such education would be extended to the rest of the districts and municipalities, to help increase the number of registered facilities in the region.

Mr Joseph Gyau Yeboah, the Principal Regulatory Officer, FDA Enforcement Unit in Koforidua, sensitised participants on licensing facilities.

He said the licensing guidelines involved an application letter, business certificate, health certificate for workers, facility licensing fees as per the free schedule, and Good Management Practices (GMP) inspection.

He said the inspection of Good Management Practices would be conducted at the facilities to optimise productivity and foster positive workplace culture.

The practices include the provision of a toilet facility, handwashing facility, working gear, head gear, proper packaging among others.

The training programme was organised together with the Environmental Health Unit at Nkawkaw.

Madam Hannah Asiedu, a baker thanked the FDA and appealed for a periodic training programme on issues of such.

By Emelia B. Addae, GNA