Director of Inspectorate Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority Ghana (FDA), Maria Aba Lovelace-Johnson has disclosed plans of the authority to launch the Food Safety Policy on the 16th of June 2022.
According to her, the policy is to facilitate and coordinate the regulation of food safety in the country and define the roles of the respective stakeholders to ensure public health and food safety.
Madame Lovelace-Johnson made this known during a panel discussion on eTV Ghana’s “Fact Sheet” with Samuel Eshun.
Reacting to the hygiene concerns associated with slaughterhouses and most market communities, she noted, “The meat issue has been quite challenging and on the 16th of June we’re launching the food safety policy. It’s been challenging because it is not just the FDA that is in charge of it. We have the Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Agriculture involved and we have the Ministry of Local Government involved. So, if you go to a bad slaughterhouse, the Public Health Act 851 does not require the FDA to shut it down.
It is in collaboration with the local assemblies and other institutions. So it’s not a one-man thing. It’s a collaboration and with that people will agree that there are always some challenges associated with collaborations.”
“But when the Food Safety Policy is launched, then we’ll know we’re working with a policy that states how things should be done and ensures that we effectively work together. Nonetheless when it comes to problems with food in Ghana it’s the FDA. We’re taking steps to get the slaughter houses and slabs licensed,” she added.
Maria Lovelace-Johnson further argued that infrastructural development needs to be factored into concerns about food safety and regulations among such slaughterhouses.
“Food safety or regulation is not done in isolation. You need to take the socio-economic aspects into consideration. We need to ask if there are even refrigerators even provided for the butchers and stuff like that.”
