FDA Warns Against Sale of Flood-Damaged Food and Beverages

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has issued a public warning against the cleaning and resale of food and beverages damaged by recent floods, saying such products pose serious health risks to consumers.

In a public notice dated August 13, 2026, the FDA said it had received complaints alleging that a beverage distributor whose shop at Alajo was flooded had moved affected products to a residence at Bubiashie, where they were being washed and repackaged for resale.

Following an investigation, the Authority said it found approximately one truckload of bottled water and soft drinks with mud covering both the packs and the bottles.

All the products were seized for safe disposal.

The Ghana Police Service at Kaneshie had earlier received a similar complaint, arrested the owner, and the suspect has since been granted bail.

A similar quantity of products was also seized on that occasion.

The FDA cautioned that floodwater carries sewage, refuse and other contaminants, and that washing the outside of a bottle or pack does not make the contents safe.

“Caps, seals and packaging are easily compromised when products are submerged in floodwater,” the notice stated.

Consuming such products, the FDA warned, poses a real risk of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other water-borne diseases.

The Authority advised consumers to avoid products with mud stains, watermarks, or labels that are stained, peeling or discoloured.

It also urged the public to be wary of goods sold from unusual locations or hawked in bulk without a clear source, and to buy only from reputable and licensed outlets.

Citing the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), the FDA said no person shall sell or distribute food that is contaminated, unwholesome, or unfit for human consumption. Offenders face seizure of products and prosecution.

The Authority directed manufacturers, distributors and retailers with flood-affected stock to quarantine them and notify the nearest FDA office for verification and safe disposal.

“The FDA will continue its surveillance and enforcement activities in flood-affected areas to protect public health and safety,” the statement added.

Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/