The foods we eat, when and how we eat them, affect our health in a positive or adverse way. Our health style is principally determined by not only the exercise we make but what we eat, when and how we eat them. I am neither an authority on nutrition, sports nor a medical doctor.

However, experience and knowledge acquired from different sources convincingly tell me how one's health revolves on the types of food, quantities of the food, and when they are eaten, as well as on the exercises made by the person to keep him or herself fit, and how often the person attends health checks and treatments when ill.

When people consume fake or contaminated foods and drugs, they are putting themselves or their lives at risk. Consumption of such unwholesome foods over a period of time will cause diseases, illness and/or death to the consumer with repercussions on the country's health system, the family of the ill or dead person and the community at large.

Fake rice, thus plastic rice, fake tomato paste, and fake drugs are said to be finding their way all the time on to the Ghana market. Is it a deliberate effort by the Ghanaian importers, foreign exporters or the designated governmental bodies e.g. Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), responsible for the oversight of the importation and manufacturing of genuine and healthy foods and drugs that fake foods and drugs often find their way on to Ghana market? Do the Ghanaian importers condone and connive with foreign manufacturers, because of their love of becoming richer quickly, to import such fake and hazardous-to-health foods and drugs into the country?

Are such fake foods and drugs made in the country? And if yes, by which persons and companies?

Anyway, it is good that the FDA have ordered the withdrawal of some recently discovered 16 brands of fake tomato paste from the market. The importers of the banned tomato paste brands must be surcharged, investigated and prosecuted if they knew about the quality of the products but for their want of riches, they imported them into the country. If they were manufactured in the country by Ghanaian or foreign firms, they must equally be investigated and prosecuted. That is the only way to curb fake and contaminated foods and drugs from reaching the Ghana market.

From today forward, I shall suggest to the FDA to be proactive. They have to test any new food and drug products imported into, or manufactured in, the country, before they are allowed onto the market. They should not let them be on sale in the first place before they order their recall because they are fake or contaminated.



Yes, even in the advanced countries, some products go on to the market before they are discovered to be dangerous and then recalled. However, the rate at which such products are found on the Ghana market is too alarming.

There should be public education to explain why certain foods and drugs are withdrawn from the market for being hazardous for human consumption. This is because Ghanaians are quick to ascribe political connotations to any sensible move made, to come out with their threats of not voting at elections. The media houses must be requested to not advertise any foodstuff and drugs not already approved by the FDA. The media houses flouting any such simple directive must be prosecuted. The FDA must not be induced by bribes to certify fake foods and drugs for human consumption knowing such items are detrimental to health.

Should we adhere to sensible advice and warnings by the FDA and well-meaning Ghanaians, the rampant deaths ravaging Ghanaians may reduce.

The 16 banned tomato paste brands by FDA are Alyssa Tomato Paste, Aicha Tomato Paste, Snow Red Tomato Paste, Shalom Tomato Paste, Mama and Papa Tomato Paste, Juliet Tomato Paste, Star-time tomato paste, Daily Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, Prestige Tomato Paste, Roi Lion Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, Richese Tomato Paste, Green Garden Tomato Paste, Rococo Tomato Paste, Nano Tomato Paste, Tasty Family Tomato Paste and Ma Bravo Tomato Paste.



https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2019/December-16th/fda-orders-withdrawal-of-16-brands-of-tomato-paste-from-the-market.php

Nobody is trying to collapse anyone's business but to protect human lives. This is exactly the motive behind the move or action taken by FDA with regards to the banning and ordering for the withdrawal of the above tomato paste brands.