Editorial
FDA must seize canned foods sold on the streets under direct sunlight
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, that saying faces some threat due to the food we consume which are exposed directly to the sunlight.
According to research, exposing canned foods to direct sunlight can cause heavy metal lead contamination from the cans and degrade the food quality and safety, thereby making it potentially unsafe for consumption.
The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has cautioned sellers of canned foods who exposed their products to direct sunlight to desist from doing so.
It also cautioned consumers to avoid buying those canned products.
However, when we walk around the streets of Accra, we still find a number of canned foods that have been exposed to direct sunlight on sale.
Sometimes, consumers are tempted to purchase those products because of proximity of the seller.
While I commend the FDA for the concern it has raised to sellers and consumers over the years, I will like to appeal to them to intensify the efforts in addressing the issue through education and field inspections at the various open market places and on the streets.
Intensifying their efforts will help protect the health of the citizenry and contribute to the socio-economic growth and development of the country.
Deborah, Ofankor.
Dear Editor,
I have witnessed a very dangerous practice by some food vendors who use stones and other heavy objects as weights on leaking gas cylinders.
This is very disturbing. Despite repeated warnings from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), many vendors continue to ignore the risks associated with such practices without considering the danger they pose to people nearby in the event of an explosion.
Many food vendors operate close to fuel filling stations, increasing the possibility of a major disaster if leaking gas ignites during heavy rainfall.
Ghana cannot afford another tragedy like the June 3 disaster, when torrential rains and a massive explosion at the GOIL fuel station near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange claimed more than 150 lives.
It is unfortunate that some vendors still use unsafe and damaged gas cylinders instead of replacing them. Covering leaking cylinders with stones is not a solution and only exposes lives and property to danger.
On one occasion, I tried to educate a food vendor around my area who had used a stone to cover her gas cylinder on the danger of her action but ended up getting the insult of my life.
I would therefore like to appeal to all relevant stakeholders, especially the GNFS and other security agencies, to intensify public education and enforce safety regulations.
Authorities should ensure that vendors who engage in such dangerous practices stop immediately. Faulty gas cylinders should be seized, and users compelled to replace them with safer ones.
Taking these preventive measures will help protect lives and property and prevent the country from experiencing another avoidable tragedy similar to the June 3 disaster.
Timothy,
Abelenkpe
Dear Sir,
I write to express concerns about the flood situation in the capital anytime it rains.
This is an issue that has been thoroughly discussed at various platforms even before the start of the rains, so one expected that we can see some readiness for the season.
However, the kind of floods we are experiencing now are not ones that authorities must sit unconcerned about; there must be action right away.
Places like Adjirigano, Kaneshie, Alajo, Avenor, parts of Kasoa have all seen flood waters risen to unprecedented levels.
Clearly, we have a big problem at hand. It’s either our drains are choked or have become too small. Something must be done about this to avert a much bigger problem.
Christine Amoh,
Odorkor
