FDA Clamps Down on Unlicensed Sachet Water Producers in Western North, Suspends Nine for Safety Violations
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has shuttered operations of nine sachet water producers across the Wiawso Municipality and Bia West and East Districts in Ghana’s Western North Region, citing expired registration licenses as a direct threat to public health.
The enforcement action, directed by Acting CEO Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, underscores a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed facilities to uphold good manufacturing practices (GMP), hygiene, and storage standards amid rising concerns over contaminated water sources.
Regional Director Mr. Albert Ankamah, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), framed the suspensions as a proactive measure to protect consumers from potential outbreaks, noting that unlicensed production violates the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits the manufacture, sale, or storage of unregulated products.
“It is illegal to operate without a license, and we’re extending this exercise to all districts in the region,” Ankamah warned, urging producers to leverage the FDA’s local office for swift registration to avoid further penalties.
To ease compliance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the FDA is promoting its Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS), a risk-based program launched in 2020 with financial backing from the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) under the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works initiative.
The scheme offers tiered certifications—pink (Level 1 for startups), yellow (Level 2 for moderate compliance), and green (Level 3 for full GMP adherence)—along with subsidized fees, training, and faster processing to help cottage-scale operators meet standards progressively.
Since inception, over 900 MSMEs have been licensed under PLS, registering more than 2,900 products and boosting local food stocking in supermarkets to 60% Ghana-made, aligning with the “Buy Ghana, Love Ghana” campaign.
Ankamah also highlighted broader public health gains, reporting a “significant reduction” in Tramadol sales and misuse in the region—previously rampant among youth, with nearly 40% of over-the-counter shops stocking unapproved variants during 2024 surveillances.
This progress stems from targeted FDA workshops for medicine sellers, school-based education in junior and senior high institutions, and collaborations with the Ghana Police Service and Narcotics Control Commission to curb illicit drug trafficking.
Such efforts echo national strategies since 2016, when raids in high-risk areas like Western, Northern, and Volta regions seized over 500,000 capsules and arrested smugglers.
Ankamah advised consumers to verify FDA registration on product packaging—look for the GHS symbol and batch numbers—before purchase, as sachet water remains a staple in Ghana, where access to piped water lags in rural areas like Western North, a cocoa-rich but underserved region.
Similar FDA actions in neighboring Western Region, such as the 2024 suspension of two producers in Sekondi-Takoradi for filter failures amid cholera spikes, demonstrate a pattern of vigilant enforcement to prevent health crises.
As the FDA intensifies regional sweeps, the initiative not only safeguards water quality but also fosters a compliant industry ecosystem, potentially averting waterborne diseases that claim hundreds of lives annually in Ghana.
