Tag: Ghana

Ghana Standards Authority elects new board members

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GHANA – The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has elected six new members to its governing body with the board being led by Professor Felix Charles Mills Robertson. The Minister for Trade and Industry (MOTI), John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, inaugurated and swore-in the newly-constituted governing body of the GSA at a brief ceremony held at the head office of the authority. Other board members are Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, Mr. Iddrisu Abdulai, Mr. Mark A. Taylor, Dr. Alexander Ampofo Donkor and Prof. Alexander Nii Otoo Dodoo, the Director General. The Minister…

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Ghana Standards Authority urged to tightly knit with industry players

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GHANA – The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has been urged to forge closer relationships with industry players to ensure that goods manufactured in the country meet international market standards. The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi, said standards were needed for the full realization of the country’s potential for the betterment of society, stressing that without standards, the speed of change and innovation would not be possible. He aired these remarks at the hoisting of the flag ceremony at the head office of the GSA to…

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Ghana’s PPRSD upgrades traceability system to guarantee food safety

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GHANA – The Plant Protection Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) has upgraded its manual traceability system to an electronic traceability (e-traceability), to ensure that products are fully traced through all stages of production, handling and transport/export. The PPRSD is Ghana’s national institution with the mandate and capacity to organize, regulate, implement and coordinate the plant protection services needed for the country in support of sustainable growth and development of agriculture. Speaking at a traceability workshop aimed to sensitize stakeholders in Accra, Dr Felicia Ansah-Amprofi, Director of PPRSD, in a speech read…

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Ghana’s Fisheries Commission revamps Fish Farming Certification Protocol

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GHANA – The Fisheries Commission, the implementing agency of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) in Ghana, has developed a new requirement to regulate aquaculture in the country in order to help pump up farm productivity and ensure safe and quality fish for the market. The Fish Farming Certification Protocol is currently being validated by experts and stakeholders in the aquaculture industry for necessary inputs before it is forwarded to the cabinet for consideration. The new protocol, which is a review of an existing one-stop certification, has been…

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Ghana to commence legal action against fraudulent palm oil dealers

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GHANA – The government of Ghana is set to arrest and prosecute unlicensed and illegal artisanal palm oil producers and processors in the country by next year in a move to drive away unscrupulous traders who produce unclean and unhealthy palm oil for consumption. This is anticipated to enhance market access for workers in the palm oil value chain in the producing districts and ensure that finished products meet both local and international market standards to generate income and taxes for development. Mr. Paul Amaning, the National President of the…

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Ghana’s FDA conducts training to milk sellers on GMPs, regulatory requirements

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GHANA – The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) of Ghana, through its Ashanti Regional Office, has conducted a three-day one-on-one training for sellers and producers of a common milk-based millet drink, popularly called ‘Brukina’ at Aboabo Number 2 and neighboring communities, within the Kumasi Metropolis, to ensure public health and safety. As part of the training, participants were taken through basic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) which included the safe and effective handling of the raw materials fresh milk, millet, and water. To avoid contamination, it was echoed that only potable…

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FDA institutes two new facilities to reinforce its regulatory function

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GHANA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana, has established the Centre for Laboratory Services and Research and the Centre for Import and Export Control as part of reinforcing its regulatory function to deliver improved services to support a strong implementation of the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) regime. The two new facilities are also expected to monitor and control imports of unregistered products into the country. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Delese Mimi Darko, the centres have been accredited and certified by the International Organization for…

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Ghana NBA roots for science as means of approving Genetically Modified products

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GHANA – The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology, which regulate Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), have declared that only proven scientific knowledge and not misinformation will inform their decision on whether to permit the open cultivation of the GM pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea. Research to produce Ghana’s variety of GM cowpea has been ongoing since 2008 and the process is yet to be culminated. GM cowpea has already been approved in Nigeria, where farmers are harvesting their first crop. “If GMOs are bad, and they…

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FDA raises alarm over Palm Oil adulteration as it launches anti-fraud app

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GHANA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Ghana has admonished Palm Oil Producers across the country to refrain from using the Sudan dye to mix the red oil before sending them to the market or risk facing strict regulatory sanctions that will be applied to all persons who are caught in this act. The FDA warned that Sudan IV dye is not approved for use in food products, Sudan dyes are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 3 carcinogens and are banned…

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Ghana’s draft Aflatoxin Policy awaits Cabinet approval

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GHANA – Ghana’s effort to espouse a coordinated approach for aflatoxin control in food and feed has been given a boost with the development of a draft policy by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI) for approval of the Cabinet. The policy is intended to harness the collective skills and strengths of various stakeholders for the efficient management of aflatoxins in the country so as to help increase income of food value chain actors. Aflatoxin contamination is said to be highly…

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