The Acting Chief Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority, Prof. Alex Dodoo has revealed that a lot of locally manufactured alcoholic beverages are produced without standardization.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is mandated to set standards as well as certify products and put their seal on them.
Regrettably, quite a number of these beverages on the market, especially locally brewed gin – Akpeteshi – are not submitted to their outfit for certification, Prof. Dodoo claimed.
He believes the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) are not helping matters, claiming the FDA is not demanding GSA’s standardization certificate from manufacturers before being cleared.
He made the disclosure when the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament invited the Ghana Standards Authority to appear before it to answer queries raised against them by the Auditor General.
Prof. Alex Doodo conceded that it is the duty of GSA to ensure that producers of alcoholic beverages are educated on its standards, especially when their products relate to additives which can harm people.
The Ghana Standards Authority warned that some of these alcoholic drinks produce pungent smell due to chemicals used in producing them, which are harmful for human consumption.
The Acting Chief Executive Director stated emphatically that his outfit is seemingly powerless in regulating the industry by law.
He is however hopeful a collaboration between the Ghana Standards Authority and other state agencies would help refine these beverages, take out the harmful elements so that people can live longer and also help boost sales.
The Member of Parliament for Bulsa South, Clement Apaak urged the Ghana Standards Authority to intensify its investigations into products that are sold on the markets, especially, in the northern part of Ghana to ensure that they are wholesome for consumption.
He observed that a lot of young lives are being lost as a result of the consumption of what he called substandard alcohol.
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