Sudan dye adulteration rate in the country has risen sharply to 24.44 per cent, reversing the significant gains made over the past decade. The figure represents 261 per cent increment compared to the 2023 figure of 6.76 per cent, which was attained from the 98 per cent of 2015.
This came to light during a stakeholders’ engagement on the dissemination of findings from the 2024 nationwide palm oil monitoring for Sudan dye adulteration held at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) head office.
The nationwide exercise, among other objectives, was to evaluate the market’s compliance with national standards by determining the presence and spread of Sudan dyes in palm oil from both production and market sites.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FDA, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Opuni, in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy CEO, Food Division, Mr Roderick Kwabena Daddey-Adjei, described the development as a major setback, attributing the increase to a lack of vigilance among market players and called for collective action to address the issue.
“The success of 2023 and the lessons of 2024 remind us that food safety is a shared responsibility,” he said, calling on all stakeholders in the value chain to reinforce peer accountability and embrace stronger self-regulatory practices to restore and sustain public confidence in the country’s palm oil for both domestic consumption and international trade.
He revealed that while millers and processors recorded high compliance this year, contamination was found to be widespread at aggregation, distribution and retail levels, particularly within major markets.
Prof. Frimpong-Manso assured that the Authority’s intensified market sensitisation, stricter monitoring and upgraded traceability systems will be rolled out to protect public health and curb the growing threat of Sudan dye adulteration. He commended the collaboration and cooperation of stakeholders including environmental health and market representatives towards safeguarding public health.
Chief Inspector Brako Isaac, Head, Seconded Ghana Police Unit, FDA, disclosed that joint operations with the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to five markets in the region had led to the arrest of 17 people, with dockets forwarded for prosecution.
“Out of the 17, he said prima facie cases have been established with 12, and is pending evidence and we are prepared for prosecution,” he said, adding that the move is not a punishment but a deterrent to others who intend to engage in such act. He also said the technical team would continue the operation in the remaining markets.
Sudan dye, locally known as “suudii”, adulteration is the illegal use of industrial Sudan dyes to enhance the colour of food products—most commonly palm oil and chili powder—to make them appear more appealing to consumers. The dye is toxic and not approved for human consumption, and its presence in food poses serious health risks.
Established under Section 80(1) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (ACT 851), the FDA is an agency under the Ministry of Health whose objective is to provide and enforce standards for the sale of food, herbal medicinal products, cosmetics, medical devices and household chemicals.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
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