Police seize large unregistered Yafo Yafo products

Accra, Aug 02, GNA – Officials from the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) have seized large quantities of unregistered herbal medicines, raw materials and packaging materials at the unlicensed premises of Yafo Yafo Herbal.

The unregistered herbal medicines include the following Yafo Tonic, Yafo Fever Mixture, Yafo Ko Bitters, Yafo Pioneer Capsules, Yafo Pioneer Mixture, Yafo Manpower Capsules, Yafo Adom Wo Wim Mixture, Yafo Action Bitters (jacket).

A statement issued in Accra said since 2009, Frank Paul Ventures (producers of Yafo products) had never registered any of the above listed herbal medicines with the FDB though the products are on the market.

This, the statement said, flouted Section 24(1) of the Food and Drugs Law, PNDCL 305 B that states that ‘No person shall manufacture, prepare, sell, supply, distribute, export or import any herbal medicine or homeopathic drug, unless the herbal medicine or homeopathic drug has been registered with the Food and Drugs Board.’

It said the manufacturing facility of Frank Paul Ventures had not been disclosed to the FDB to enable it to ascertain its suitability for the manufacturing of herbal medicine.

On 25th July 2011, the MD of Frank Paul Ventures misled the police and FDB officers to Obiri Herbal Centre as his herbal manufacturing premises.

However the MD of Obiri Herbal Centre, Nana Obiri, told the FDB in the presence of the Police that he does not manufacture herbal medicines for Frank Paul Ventures.

An informant on told the FDB that they were aware Frank Paul Ventures (Yafo Yafo) manufactures and stores his products in a house at Mamprobi.

However the MD of Frank Paul Ventures refused to go with the police to inspect the place when requested to do so.

The police therefore obtained a search warrant and the MD of Frank Paul Ventures was called for inspection at the facility but again he refused to comply.

The Police and the FDB, acting on the Search Warrant, inspected the premises where they found herbal Medicines stored under unacceptable conditions.