Kwaebibirem DCE warns against palm oil adulteration

Kade, Dec. 30, GNA - The Kwaebibrim Distirct Chief Executive, Mr. Yaw Yiado-Boakye has warned palm oil producers in the area against adulterating their produce with harmful chemicals since the practice not only posed danger to consumers but also made it difficult for Ghana to find market for its palm oil on the foreign market. Addressing a general meeting of the District Assembly at Kade, he explained that a chemical, known as "Sudan IV" was used by some producers of palm oil to adulterate their produce to ostensibly make it attractive, but it was dangerous for human consumption, since it could cause cancer.

According to him, since April, this year, officials of the Food and Drugs Board and the Ministry of Trade and Industry had been visiting the district to check the quality of palm oil.

Mr. Yiadom-Boakye said during a recent visit by a team of officials of the Board, led by Mr. Kwabena Van-Ess, head of the Food Division, to a number of oil mills, they seized some drums of palm oil, which they suspected to have been adulterated with the chemical.

He called on members of the assembly to educate palm oil producers to stop using the chemical, "otherwise, the Presidential Initiative on Oil Palm will fail since we may not have markets for our palm oil so long as it is suspected to be adulterated with the said chemical."