FDA declares war on 'bizarre' food colouring flooding the market

Europa

June 15, 2017 3:14 PM

This follows the arrest of two women who were seen in a video on social media dipping peeled oranges into a solution to impact the colour of the orange.

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The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has waged war against food colouring which appears suspicious.

This comes on the back of the arrest of two women who were seen in a video on social media dipping peeled oranges into a solution to impact the colour of the orange.

The two women were arrested after a swoop at the Madina market on Tuesday, June 13.

They have been granted bail as investigations continue.

Even though some Ghanaians have commended the FDA for the arrest, others feel that the Authority had been harsh on the two women considering some of the foods consumed in the market are coloured as well.

But speaking to Pulse.com.gh, the Head of Communications at the FDA, James Lartey said the action by the two women should not be taken lightly.

He said that although their aim was to beautify the oranges by making them appear yellow, the fear is that they may lack knowledge on the type and exact quantity to use, which could eventually be harmful to the consumer.

“When you go to industry, they know that for example, manufacturing 40 litres of a drink, let me take 1 gramme of a food colour and use because they know that using 1 gramme will not be harmful. But these women...what is the knowledge; all they know is they are colouring, and so they can pick any quantity at all which may be harmful to the consumer,” he explained.

Mr Lartey further indicated that his biggest fear is whether the two women were actually using food colour or some other solution which can be harmful.

He, however, indicated that the Authority is investigating the issue and would also continue to educate traders on the dangers of the haphazard use of food colours.

“We have a department, that is, the Food Safety Management Department. They go to the market and they organise the women and they sensitise them on some of these colour adulteration, the danger of putting a foreign material, and all those things.

“So what we are going to do now is that we will continue with the training and we will continue with enforcement,” he said.

Europa