FDA not sabotaging COA FS, we’re saving lives - PRO

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), James Lartey has rubbished assertions that the outfit was sabotaging the success story of COA FS drug.

Such assertions he stated are untrue and an insult to the FDA considering the fact that it was only doing its work.

He explained the FDA statement never touched on the efficacy of the drug, rather, contamination.

According to the FDA, laboratory analysis on random COA FS products picked from the manufacturing company and the market, showed that the product has been found to contain Escherichia coli, a type of bacteria that normally lives in the intestines.

The FDA said that E Coli as it is popularly known, causes gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

Mr. Lartey said the FDA is only taking steps to investigate the matter and deal with it.

The reason for the recall he stressed was based on the premise that the level of contamination is dangerous for human consumption.

The FDA PRO said persons with weakened immune systems, who are targets of the COA FS, can become seriously ill due to the ingestion of products contaminated with E.Coli.

The FDA analysis was done on samples picked from the market and the COA Herbal Centre in Wusorkrom near Cape Coast.

He asked the company to be honest to Ghanaians and stop making false claims.

The FDA he disclosed had engaged with the company several times, advised them to recall their products but they failed to so, a situation he stated forced the FDA to recall the products.

Meanwhile, the Centre of Awareness Global Peace Mission, manufacturer of the COA FS drug, says from their point of view, the claims made in the statement of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) does not represent the truth.

Lead researcher, Prof. Augustine Ocloo speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm disclosed the company demanded an independent probe into the matter after the FDA told them their products were contaminated.

He said the tests ran by Cape Coast Teaching Hospital’s laboratories on the back of these claims show the non-existence of the said substances in COA FS.

He added the results of the microbial tests do not disclose contamination by yeast, mould and e.coli.

He said test on the batches are being conducted in other independent laboratories, adding that, the results will be communicated to the general public when concluded.