The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned the public against accepting, buying, selling, sharing, or consuming food and other regulated products that have been recovered from floodwaters following the recent flooding in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
In a food safety alert issued on Thursday, July 2, the Authority said it had received reports of unidentified individuals retrieving food items from flood-affected areas after the June 29 floods.
The FDA also noted that some of these individuals have used social media to announce plans to distribute the recovered products to unsuspecting members of the public, including students.
The Authority warned that products exposed to floodwaters cannot be considered safe because they may have been contaminated during the flooding or mishandled afterward.
“The FDA cannot vouch for the safety or quality of these products, as they may have been contaminated by floodwaters and mishandling, which could pose a serious risk to public health,” the statement said.
The FDA therefore advised the public not to accept, consume, sell, offer for sale, or distribute any food or regulated products that have come into contact with floodwater.
According to the Authority, floodwaters often contain sewage, chemicals, waste materials, and harmful microorganisms that can contaminate food, drinking water, food preparation surfaces, and storage facilities.
It explained that these conditions significantly increase the risk of foodborne diseases and outbreaks of illnesses such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery. For this reason, consumers have been urged to exercise extra caution when buying food products.
The Authority further advised households to throw away any food that has been exposed to floodwater and to drink only safe water. Where the quality of water is uncertain, it recommended boiling it for at least five minutes before use.
The FDA also encouraged regular handwashing with soap and clean water before preparing meals, before eating, and after handling items contaminated by floodwater.
In addition, it urged residents to thoroughly wash and disinfect kitchen surfaces, utensils, refrigerators, and food storage areas that may have been affected by the floods. Consumers were also reminded to keep raw and cooked foods separate to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
The Authority appealed to the public to report anyone selling or distributing flood-damaged food products to the nearest FDA office or through its official social media platforms.
“Report any suspected sale or distribution of flood-damaged or unsafe food products to the FDA. It said it is working closely with relevant agencies to monitor the safety of food supplies in affected communities and will take the necessary regulatory action to protect public health,” the Authority stated.
