We were once told, and arecstill being reminded to grow Ghana and eat Ghana.
Some of us carry Ghana on our sleeves and so even if we cannot wear Ghana every day, we try to cook and eat Ghana foods even when one makes the occasional stop in a restaurant.
Doctors and other health professionals do well to encourage us to eat more of unprocessed foods, and concentrate on plant based foods which are in abundance in our markets, if one wants to live healthy.
Local farm foods
However, stories gathered from the media about some local farm foods, vegetables and fruits are becoming more of a scare than a joy, when eating.
Individual greed and the selfishness at the expense of others’ safety is what one is seeing.
In one space, the headline is on contaminated vegetables, some staple foods and fruits coming from illegal mining areas due to the poisonous chemicals used to prospect gold.
In some other spaces, there are discussions on chemicals being used to preserve or embellish food items sold in open markets.
In the past few years, independent research work have publicly made it known that activities of illegal miners, also known as “galamsey” and the indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste have polluted our soils to the extent of dangerously compromising foods grown from these same soils.
The most recent stories on sprayed green plantain and some fruits with chemicals ahead of their natural ripening cycles are alarming.
What made the stories even more distressing was a viral video on social media with some market women reportedly attesting to the fact that green plantain and banana sellers were out there using dangerous chemicals to spray their products.
FDA
Before that demonstration, the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) had quickly come out with a public statement on the specific use of the chemical, Ethemax, in the plantain ripening case at the Madina market in Accra and confirmed they were investigating the case.
According to the statement, the alleged investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Environmental Health Unit of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly (LaNMMA).
Sections of the investigation which were reported in the media said FDA had confirmed that “Ethemax contains Ethephon 480 g/l SL as its active ingredient, but the label clearly indicates it is a plant growth regulator with a ‘harmful’ hazard warning.”
Without much ado, I sought to interact with FDA and find out at first-hand what was going on with the alleged spraying of green plantains and allay fears or otherwise, based on the extent of the panic that had stirred minds.
I sought to know if in view of reports in the media, they would take steps to prohibit open market sale of the chemical if allegedly, it has “a harmful hazard warning”.
The prompt responses received from the Authority, were quite helpful to anyone getting to hear of the chemical for the first time.
Harmful chemical
According to the clarifications I got from the Regulator, it is clear that Ethemax is not and should not be new or that alarming, depending on its application.
It is classified as a plant growth regulator, intended strictly for controlled agricultural and environmental regulatory bodies.
These bodies are, therefore, “stipulated to enforce proper distribution channels, prevent open-market misuse and apply strict sanctions against vendors engaged in unauthorised retail or off-label application”.
The good news is that beyond the immediate investigation of the issue at the Madina market, the Authority is taking swift regulatory enforcement action to identify and sanction the individuals involved in the distribution of the off-label application of the chemical.
The good, perhaps, of the viral application of chemical spraying on foods is definitely the escalation of the Regulator’s presence in our markets and engagement in market surveillance and monitoring, on the present and past alleged use of chemicals by vendors.
What immediately comes to one’s mind is the ban on Sudan IV Dye which was reportedly used in the past as colouring for palm oil and so also, the ban on the use of formalin to preserve and harden salted fish known as “koobi”.
These and other bans, I learnt, are still in force.
FDA is assuring consumers and patronisers of foods sold in other food markets that they are continuously monitoring the supply food chains through routine market sampling, laboratory testing and nationwide surveillance to ensure non-permitted chemicals enter the food chain.
In the meantime, violators found in default of all bans have been or are being prosecuted.
My take from the FDA in the short interaction with them confirms to me that from their end, everything is being done to ensure consumer health and safety as far as foods on sale at the open markets are concerned.
That is their job, anyway.
They did not speak to the chemical poisoning of farm grown foods, vegetables and fruits in galamsey affected areas because it was not the focus of our discussion.
In any case, researchers have spent time on this.
If you ask me, farm grown foods must be selected with caution.
Caution to wash them thoroughly under running water, cook well and for us all to avoid uncooked raw foods.
That is the way to go.
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