By P.K. Yankey
Aiyinasi (W/R), November 15, GNA – Dr Martin Kusi, the Western Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has asked packaged water manufacturers in the Ellembelle and Jomoro Districts to ensure higher safety and health standards.
This, he said, must be in accordance with the requirements in the manufacturing and production of sachet, bottled and dispenser jars water for human consumption.
He said that the move would avoid health-related diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery stool among others associated with drinking contaminated and poorly treated water.
Dr Kusi was addressing a day’s training workshop for about 51 packaged Water Manufacturers drawn from Aiyinasi, Elubo, Tikobo No.1, Half-Assini, Nkroful and environs at Aiyinasi in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
The training workshop sought to sensitise the Water Manufacturers on good manufacturing and good documentation Practices on Standard Operating Procedures and Record keeping formats on food safety carried out at the food production facilities.
He asked the packaged Water Manufacturers to produce water with washed hands under clean environment and maintain personal hygiene.
Dr Kusi appealed to the water manufacturers to observe guidelines by the Food and Drugs Authority from the production room to the storage room before the water got to the final consumer to avoid complications in the body.
The FDA Regional Director advised Water Manufacturers to avoid habits such as chewing gum, working without helmets, gloves, and stop using perfume-based soap to wash at the production room.
Dr Kusi also advised them to clean their phones with detergents after visiting the toilet.
He stressed the need for a health policy for Water Manufacturing Companies in the country.
Mr Benjamin Appiasam-Dadson, the Principal Regulatory Officer at the FDA in the Western Region, who spoke on Food Hygiene and Contamination, urged them to ensure compliance of safety standards with safe, quality and legal foods.
He noted that the absence of regular cleaning, Pest control, record keeping and Standard Operating Procedures were the common non-compliances of most of the Water Manufacturers in the industry.
Mr Appiasam-Dadson added that the use of dirty filters, polluted water, improper installation of electric wires, leakage of filtering tubes still in operation and dirty storeroom full of dust where commercial water was kept did not augur well for consumption.
He hinted that the non-compliance of safety standards would result in operational lockdown of the production room by the FDA.
He reiterated that manufacturers without Reverse Osmosis Equipment (ROE) in water treatment at the Water Production Room would not be allowed to be in operation from January 2025.
Mr Appiasam-Dadson advised them to ensure hygienic practices in production, cleaning, waste Management and Pest Control.
He also advised them to use chlorine in original containers to clean their water tanks and constantly clean their water tanks to avoid contamination of water and ensure effective cleaning of their environment as well as keep appropriate records on the cleaning.
GNA