Maggot-infested Fish En Route To Obuasi Intercepted

Some bags of maggot-infested salted fish have been intercepted on their way from Accra to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has reported.

The goods were being transported by a local distributor identified as Esi Bawa when they were intercepted at the VIP Lorry Terminal Station of Kwame Nkrumah Circle following intelligence.

The trader was found with nine bags of the rotten salted fish on November 3 and was subsequently arrested and handed over to the Ghana Police Service.

According to the Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Mr Gilbert Ankrah, her action breaches the AMA by-law, Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), Section 100 (3).

He explained, “Maggots are fly larvae and their presence in food is a clear sign of spoilage and consuming this can lead to gastrointestinal distress that may lead to dehydration.

“…The presence of larvae according to our Public Health team often indicates an advanced stage of decomposition which can cause food poisoning…Maggots can carry parasites, and their consumption can lead to parasitic infections in the human body.”