FDA intensifies drive to ensure iodised salt reaches consumers
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that salt produced for human consumption is adequately iodised and meets the required safety standards.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has ramped up efforts to ensure that salt intended for human consumption is properly iodised and adheres to necessary safety protocols. Benjamin Osei Tutu, Head of Food-borne Diseases at the FDA, emphasized the Authority's commitment to intensifying the oversight of edible salt. This commitment aims to safeguard consumers from iodine deficiency disorders by providing them with adequately iodised products.
At the salt fortification and iodisation programme launch in Ada Songor, Osei Tutu highlighted the availability of iodine for salt producers as a chance to bolster adherence to Ghana's salt iodisation standards. He cautioned against the improper mixing of industrial and edible salt in the same vehicles, warning that this could lead to cross-contamination and the misuse of industrial salt for human consumption.
Stakeholders in the salt value chain were urged to comply with FDA regulations, ensuring only safe and adequately iodised salt reaches consumers. Abraham Ahuma Tetteh, Public Relations Officer of the Ada Songor Lagoon Association (ASLA), disclosed that the association had secured sufficient iodine to support the iodisation of salt produced in Ada Songor. ASLA will also supply iodine to selected salt artisans across the Volta Region, extending the production of properly iodised salt beyond Ada.
Tetteh reported that salt artisans had been trained to determine the correct amount of iodine needed for varying quantities of salt, a move designed to enhance compliance and ensure that salt leaving the Ada region meets the necessary iodisation standards. ASLA is also developing strategies to regulate salt prices, aimed at stabilising the market while protecting consumers and other stakeholders from the adverse effects of price fluctuations.
Salt iodisation in Ghana has been underway since 1994, addressing concerns about iodine deficiency disorders by leveraging salt as an accessible and cost-effective means of delivering iodine to the population.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
