The Brong Ahafo Regional Office of Food and Drugs Board (FDB) have intensified its last quarter market surveillance to clear and control inferior goods from the market towards Christmas celebration.

Mr Matthew Gyang Nkum, Brong Ahafo Regional Officer of FDB, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, said the exercise begun this month and would end in February, 2013.

The surveillance is being conducted on drugs, cooking oil, assorted drinks, milk, confectionery and tin products, some of which had been seized and would be destroyed soon.

Some of the seized items had expired, containers bloated, some not registered, others without batch numbers and some had their seal tampered with.

Mr Nkum pointed out that during such festive occasions, patronage of food products increased and dealers took advantage to import inferior products on the market which put consumers at risk.

He called on the public to critically check the labels of containers for expiry dates and refuse to purchase products they suspected had their expiry dates tampered with. He said for the safety of consumers, they could report such traders at the consumers complain desk of the board for necessary action to be taken in the interest of the public.

Mr Nkum said although the board had been mandated to regulate food, drugs, medical and household chemicals to ensure they were of good quality for the safety of the public, the public could contribute immensely to achieve this. He said shop owners after intensive education now appreciated the need for such exercises, co-operate and accept the board’s staff at their shops without any assault and resistance.

Mr Nkum said some shop owners even called for assistance from the board to dispose off their expired products and cautioned that individuals did not have the right to dispose off any expired goods or drugs without the board’s consent.

He pointed out that shop owners found disposing off unwholesome goods or tampering with expiry dates on products would be arrested and prosecuted.