‘Fake’ palm oil: Retailers tighten noose on suppliers – FDA

Following the Food and Drugs Authority’s revelation that some palm oil found in various markets in Accra had been contaminated with Sudan IV, an industrial dye used in the coloration of plastics and other synthetic products, there has been increased vigilance from retailers of the product. According to the FDA, producers and retailers of palm oil have noted the threat the recent developments pose to their businesses and have taken steps to tackle it.

“We have had a number of interactions with the producers as well as the retailers. Currently, we have groups of retailers who have submitted their products voluntarily for testing and have the results given to them before they go back to their retailing. We’ve had a situation where the commodity queens themselves have taken up this battle. The vigilance is everywhere,” the Principal Regulatory Officer at the FDA, Kofi Essel, told Citi News. The FDA revealed that some vendors of palm oil in some markets in Accra it visited  had adulterated their products with the cancerous substance, Sudan IV.

Although some observers criticized the FDA’s alerts, arguing that it caused panic and could affect genuine palm oil businesses, the authority insisted that it was acting in the best interest of Ghanaians Kofi Essel commended the retailers for taking steps to address the situation. He believes that the damage to the palm oil industry has been great, revealing that the FDA was working together with the producers to ensure that the problem is dealt with effectively. “Everybody suffered as a result of media discussions on the subject. People avoided palm oil and it affected every cuisine that goes with palm oil. The effects were far reaching. The industry felt the pinch and did what it could to redeem itself. We are working very closely with them and in no time a formal report will come out. It would be premature for me to give any figures. At an appropriate time, we’ll come out with the true situation on the ground,” he noted.