The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says it extended the best-before date for the 22,000 bags of rice distributed to Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country in February this year because it was wholesome.
The Authority said the date was revised because it had conducted a quality assessment of the rice.
This follows North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s insistence that the distributed rice was unwholesome.
Ablakwa had claimed that the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) conspired with Lamens Investments Africa Limited to distribute expired rice, which had originally expired in December 2023.
He further alleged that the rice was repackaged in locally made sacks with misleading labels such as “ECOWAS” and “Made in Ghana rice” but lacked an expiry date.
Joseph Yaw-Bernie Bennie, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs, FDA, in an interview on Joy FM on Thursday, November 21, indicated that the FDA had initially cracked down on Lamens Investment Africa for repackaging rice with an expired “best-before” date.
“However, following rigorous tests by the Authority, the Centre for Scientific Research (CSIR), and an accredited laboratory in India, the rice was confirmed to meet quality standards.
He said it was for that reason the “best before” date was extended to April 2024, emphasising that the rice remained safe for consumption during the extension period and noting that the company was fined GH¢100,000 for repackaging the rice without FDA approval.
“The FDA found that the product could still be consumed safely based on confirmatory tests from three laboratories. While the producer initially requested an extension to December 2024, we approved it only until April 2024. We also required Lamens to provide further evidence from the manufacturer to justify any additional extensions.”
“They [Lamens] applied for an extension of the best-before date and we took them through the processes and once they qualified to have the date extended, we did that,” Bennie stated.