The Food and Drugs Authority has advised the Ghanaian public to purchase only registered sachet and bottled water manufactured in Ghana.
The FDA further asked the Ghanaian public to ensure that the water they purchase has the FDA’s product manufacturing and registration numbers.
It also asked the public to report an unregistered sachet and bottled water they found on the market to the nearest FDA office.
The statement comes after a study revealed that some sachet water manufactured in the country obtained human excreta.
A Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) conducted in 2017-2018 revealed that about 34.1 percent of sources used for the production of sachet water are contaminated with faecal matter.
The report was released following data from the 2021 population and housing census on the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector revealed that 37.4 percent of households in Ghana depend on Sachet Water as the main source of drinking.
Data from the 2021 Population and Housing census indicate the use of Sachet water as the main source of drinking water has quadrupled in about a decade.
In 2010, nine percent of households depended on sachet water as their main source of drinking, while in 2021, the figure rose to 31.7 percent.
The use of pipe-borne as the main source of drinking water for households however decreased from 46.7 in 2010 to 31.7 percent in 2021.
The FDA in its statement reminded the public that it is mandated to protect consumers and that is something it will not relent on doing.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
