FDA seizes unregistered diapers at Ho Market

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Volta Region has confiscated a large consignment of unregistered diapers at the Ho Market as part of efforts to safeguard public health, particularly that of children.

The exercise, carried out in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, forms part of an ongoing crackdown on unregistered and potentially unsafe products circulating in markets across the Volta and Oti Regions, as well as other parts of the country.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, the Volta Regional Head of the FDA, Mr Gordon Akurugu, said the seized diapers lacked proper registration and labelling, raising serious concerns about their safety and quality. He warned that the sale of such products poses a public health risk and would not be tolerated.

The diapers, popularly referred to as “fosse diapers,” have been detained pending further investigations with the police to trace their source and determine how they entered the market.

Mr Akurugu explained that Volta’s status as a border region makes it vulnerable to the influx of smuggled goods from neighbouring countries. He stressed that the operation was not a one-off exercise but part of sustained monitoring to rid markets of unapproved products. He added that some of the items could be rejected stock or donated goods resold without clear origin.

He urged mothers and the general public to purchase only properly registered diapers bearing visible labels and FDA registration numbers, emphasising the importance of child safety.

Citing the Public Health Act 851, he noted that all imported products must be registered and regulated by the FDA before being sold on the market. He warned that the sale of unregistered goods is illegal and that offenders would face the full force of the law.

Meanwhile, some affected traders expressed dissatisfaction with the exercise. One trader, Ms Bintu Yakubu, claimed officials posed as customers before confiscating the products and admitted she was unable to distinguish between registered and unregistered brands.

Another trader, Ms Linda Ofosuhene, questioned how unregistered goods were allowed into the country in the first place if they were prohibited. A third trader, identified only as Gloria, said the unlabelled diapers were popular among customers and feared the seizure would result in financial losses.