The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has ordered Franko Herbal Centre to recall its Franko Herbal Mixture within 14 days after laboratory tests detected diazepam and paracetamol in the product.
The Authority has also shut down the company’s manufacturing facility at Jacobu in the Ashanti Region, warning that failure to comply with the directives could result in further sanctions, including criminal prosecution.
In a statement, the FDA said the mixture, registered as a herbal medicine containing Carica papaya, Alstonei boonei and Tetrapleura tetraptera, was found to have been adulterated with diazepam, a prescription-only medicine, and paracetamol, which is commonly used to relieve pain and fever.
The FDA said the presence of these pharmaceutical substances in a product registered strictly as a herbal medicine violated regulatory requirements and posed potential health risks to consumers.
It warned that diazepam could cause severe sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death, particularly when combined with other medications.
Prolonged use or abuse could also affect the central nervous system, causing confusion, dizziness, memory problems, hallucinations and seizures.
The Authority also cautioned that excessive paracetamol intake could have serious health consequences.
The FDA said it would supervise the safe disposal of all recalled products to ensure they were completely removed from circulation and urged consumers to avoid the mixture as recall and enforcement measures continue.
