Disregard sponsored contents that cause fear and panic – FDA

By Naa Shormei Odonkor

Koforidua, April 12, GNA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has advised the public to disregard sponsored contents and materials that promoted undesirable competition to benefit some brands while creating fear and panic among customers.

The Authority said citizens should report such videos, contents or materials to the FDA to prevent the promotion of uncontrollable anxiety among the public.

The FDA noted in a press statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority to address a video that resurfaced on YouTube concerning the pH level of packaged water on the Ghanaian market.

The statement indicated, “The video suggests that some brands have pH values which are out of the allowable pH range, are ‘impure’, and not suitable for drinking”.

Again, the FDA observed that the video portrayed unscientific and crude methods using an unreferenced scale which lacked precision that could not inform any regulatory decision.

As a result, the statement noted with concerned regulatory decisions that the pH level required in drinking water was scientifically measured with a calibrated pH meter.

The pH level of drinking water approved by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the FDA stated, was between 6.5 and 8.5.

Therefore, the statement noted that any packaged and bottled water with the required level of pH approved by the GSA and the WHO was healthy to be consumed.

The FDA, thereafter, advised the public to purchase packaged and bottled water registered under the FDA as they cross-checked the registration status.

“The public is once again reminded to check the registration status of packaged/bottled drinking water and all other regulated products from the label of the product and the ProPer Platform (https:/bit.ly/ProPerFDA Verify) before purchase”, it stated.

GNA