By Michael Foli Jackidy, GNA
Ho (V/R), Aug. 05, GNA –Cartons and bottles of expired and unwholesome beverages and food products confiscated from two retail outlets and a warehouse belonging to Madam Angela Nukunu, a businesswoman in the Ho Municipality, have been destroyed.
The Environmental Health Unit of the Ho Municipal Assembly has supervised the safe destruction of expired beverages and food products.
The exercise, which was carried out on Tuesday at the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) at Akrofu, followed an order by the Ho District Court after the successful prosecution of the businesswoman for possessing and distributing unwholesome food products.
The products destroyed included 125 bottles of Appela Orange Cocktail, 35 bottles of Choco Cola, two bottles of Rambo Citrus (350ml), eight bottles of Fanta (1.5 litres), one bottle of Veraldo (350ml), three bottles of Biggo (350ml), 16 bottles of The Game Energy Drink (350ml), 128 cartons of The Game Energy Drink, 90 cartons of Peeve Orange Cocktail, 124 cartons of Bel 7 Star Energy Drinks, three bottles of Sangria Forte Pettelante, 18 packets of biscuits and 10 packets of Royal Cream Biscuits.
In all, 224 individual items and 342 cartons of assorted beverages and food products were safely destroyed under the supervision of environmental health officers.
Rev Lawrence Senya, the Ho Municipal Environmental Health Officer, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the destruction marked the final stage of a legal process that had been before the court for several months.
He explained that the products were seized from a warehouse after investigations by the Environmental Health Unit and remained in the custody of the Assembly until the court concluded the case.
“The case has been in court for some time and has finally been determined. The court imposed the appropriate sanctions on the offender and authorised the safe destruction of all the confiscated products,” he said.
Rev Senya explained that the destruction process was carried out in collaboration with IRECOP to ensure that the products did not re-enter the market and that recyclable materials were recovered in an environmentally friendly manner.
“We emptied all the bottles and cans before handing them over for recycling. The plastic containers will be recycled, while the metal cans will also be processed and recycled. This is the safest and most environmentally responsible way of disposing of these products,” he stated.
He noted that the seized items comprised products commonly sold in provision shops, stressing that the exercise demonstrated the Assembly’s commitment to protecting public health and ensuring that unsafe food products did not reach consumers.
Rev Senya urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing beverages and packaged food products by checking expiry dates and carefully inspecting the condition of containers before consumption.
He advised consumers to avoid drinks or canned products that were bulging, swollen, dented or damaged, explaining that such conditions often indicated fermentation, contamination or chemical reactions that could pose serious health risks.
“Even if a product has not expired, once it is bulged or dented, it may no longer be safe for consumption. The protective lining inside the container may have been compromised, making the contents hazardous to human health,” he explained.
He further appealed to the public to promptly report shops selling expired or suspected unwholesome food and beverages to the Environmental Health Unit for immediate investigation and enforcement action.
“We encourage the public to remain vigilant. If you buy a beverage or any packaged food and discover that it has expired or is unsafe, immediately inform the Environmental Health Officers. We will investigate and ensure appropriate action is taken to protect the public,” Rev Senya said.
The case originated from intelligence received by the Environmental Health Unit from residents of Nyive, a border community near Togo, alleging that expired carbonated soft drinks were being distributed to unsuspecting consumers.
Following the tip-off, a task force conducted an operation on June 8, 2025, during which a number of beverages were seized. Further investigations uncovered additional expired products at another retail outlet at Dave Junction and a warehouse located within the residence of Madam Nukunu.
Mr Selorm Agbesi, Assistant Public Health Engineer told the court that the accused operated multiple retail outlets and warehouses without valid Business Operating Permits and failed to honour repeated invitations by the Environmental Health Department to assist with investigations.
The court also heard that she obstructed Environmental Health Officers during the performance of their lawful duties.
During the initial stages of the proceedings on July 17 2025, the Ho District Court, presided over by Mr Albert Annor-Owusu, ordered the temporary closure of the retail outlets at Nyive and Dave to allow Environmental Health Officers to conduct forensic examinations of all food and beverage products found on the premises.
Upon the conclusion of the trial, Madam Nukunu pleaded guilty to two counts.
The Ho District Court convicted her on her own plea and sentenced her to pay a fine of 100 penalty units on each count, with 12 months’ imprisonment in default, the sentences to run concurrently.
In addition to the fines, the court ordered her to pay GHS8,400 to cover the cost of destroying the confiscated products.
Environmental Health officials described the exercise as a strong warning to traders dealing in expired or unwholesome food products, stressing that the Assembly would continue routine inspections and enforce food safety regulations to protect public health.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah