There have been some misconceptions that some vegetables and fruits with abnormal sizes are Genetically Modified Foods (GM foods) but the Senior Regulatory Officer, agro products of bio safety department of the Food and Drugs Authority has said that these claims are totally false.
Mrs. Nana Akua Yeboah stated that genetic modification serves a purpose in agriculture thereby solving several problems such as less labor, increasing crop yield and productivity and reduction in the exposure to harsh chemicals which in turn protects their health. She further stated that before a crop produce is released to the public, it undergoes several investigations to search for issues such as toxicity and allergenicity.
She also stated that before any GM food is put on the market , it goes through several protocols that is investigations. Furthermore , she stated that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) or World Peace and Health Organization (WPHO ) has clearly stated that any genetically modified food that has gone through this system is as safe and no less nutritious than the conventional ones on the market.
“The European Commission which has gone through extensive research on GM foods and they have come up and identified that the approved GM foods that we have on the market are as safe as the conventional ones so whatever risk we have with the conventional ones are no different from what the GM foods also give.”
Speaking on Radio Univers’ Good Health show, a regulatory officer also at the Food and Drugs Authority( FDA) , Miss Bella Nkansah further stated that its wrong to say that foods that have gone through rigorous steps are not safe for consumption since they have gone through the right processes.
Mrs. Yeboah has assured the public that the FDA which is a member of the National Bio – Safety Authority (NBA) will ensure safety and will not permit the introduction of GM foods that will be to the detriment of public health.
She further explained that the Biosafety Act 2011 (Act 831) which institutes the National Biosafety Authority ( NBA) as the competent body to regulate every activity of GM foods in the country. Currently the NBA has not approved any commercialization of GM foods in Ghana.
Miss Bella Nkansah stated that the Food and Drugs Authority on the National Bio-safety Authority board is responsible for ensuring the safety of food feed that are derived from genetically modified organisms. She concluded that Ghanaians should be rest assured that the Food and Drugs authority is working assiduously to ensure their safety.
Mrs. Nkansah also reiterated that fact that Ghanaians should trust the institutions that are working for them and can visit the Food and Drugs Authority for further information.
By: Jennifer Esi Aniwa/ Radio Univers 105.7MHz
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