Following a video which went viral last Wednesday, the Food and Drugs
Authority yesterday arrested two women suspected to be involved in
artificially colouring oranges to boost sales.
According to the FDA, the police conducted a swoop at the Madina market
last Tuesday after photos and a video went viral on social media.
In the video, a woman is seen with two big bowls – one a colouring solution and the other full of ripe oranges.
She dipped the oranges in the solution and waits for some minutes for the fruit to turn deep yellow.
It was believed the colour makes the fruit eye-pleasing enough to attract customers.
But FDA stated that the colouring was “suspicious” and condemned the practice.
Consequently FDA officials arrested the women for questioning and possible prosecution.
The FDA faces a huge task of regulating Ghana’s food and drugs market.
Only last April, the Authority seized over a metric ton of expired goods
ahead of the Easter celebrations.
The seized items included antibiotics and analgesics, baby foods such
as Aptamil, cerelac, biscuits, energy drinks, lucozade, margarines,
dairy products, sanitary pads and many others from pharmacy shops,
supermarkets, and filling station marts and from the markets few days to
the Easter Holidays.
