Five persons have been arrested in connection with the importation and wholesaling of substandard baby diapers in the country.
The five, including importers and wholesalers of the product are expected to be arraigned to serve as a deterrent to their other counterparts.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) last week cautioned manufacturers, importers, and distributors of baby diapers against importing unhygienic baby diapers also known as bale diapers into the country as that contravenes the FDA guidelines for registration of medical devices and the GRA’s GS1166, 2017 specifications for single-use disposable diapers.
Following the caution, the authority has already destroyed some 40-footer containers of the said bale diapers seized by the authority at its recycling plant at Ashaiman.
Head of Enforcement Directorate of the FDA Vigil Edward Prah-Ashun in an interview with 3news explained that the operation will continue until the system is rid of the product which is believed to have a high risk of infection and infertility issues for the babies.
“They can cause serious health problems for a girl child and also for the boys like a cancer testis. They can trigger asthma and can also result in chronic skin diseases. So the public needs to watch out and stop buying them,” he said.
Mr Prah-Ashun encouraged consumers to purchase the branded diapers and avoid the use of the substandard bale diapers which will eventually have an effect on their wards in future.
The new guidelines require importers to get the bales well packaged and properly sealed from exposure to the weather which can contaminate it.
“As we speak, we are arresting and we are going to arrest so long as they continue to bring those substandard diapers into the country. We’re going to take regulatory action. We have been expecting more to be taken off the market aside the ones that have already been disposed of.” Mr Prah-Ashun explained.
By Sarah Apenkroh