Health · Priscilla Asante

Consumers asked to check out for Ghana standards authority logo before making purchase of products

The Eastern Regional Manager of the Ghana Standards Authority, GSA, Andrew Lartey , has advised consumers to check out for the Ghana Standards Authority badge when purchasing items especially, consumables. 

He added that failure to do so can lead to purchasing substandard products which will be detrimental to their health. He  gave the advice in an exclusive interview with GBC News in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital.

Mr. Lartey said his outfit is a government agency mandated by the Ghana Standards Authority Act 2022, Act 1078 to undertake standardization, methodology and conformity assessment.

He explained standardization as development and the promotion of the use of standards. 

"Every organization is mandated and obliged to produce according to the relevant standards even though the companies have their own standards," he said.

These national standards he explained, are developed by the Ghana Standards Authority. 

The general manager said his outfit is mandated to undertake general inspection of premise of various companies to ascertain if they are going by the set standards. 

For food products or materials, he said, they check for the hygienic condition in which they produce in order to ensure the safety of consumers adding that they also check if they are complying with the requirement of the relevant standards. 

He asked those who intend to come out with new products to patronize his outfit with samples of their products for test to ascertain if it meets the relevant standards or otherwise. 

"In a situation where there are shortfalls, my office will offer the needed direction and advice to ensure that produce meet the required standards, tested and certified before the products are put out in the market for the safety of consumers," he revealed. 

Mr. Lartey said testing of products is very important because it will help producers to meet the requirement to export their products adding that it is an offence for manufacturers to produce goods with the logo of the GSA without passing through the right channel, warning that those who do that will be faced by punishment if caught.

Mr. Lartey advised consumers to be on the lookout for especially sachet water producers as there are some unscrupulous ones who use the GSA logo without any certification. 

He said his outfit is embarking on a market surveillance to fish out those culprits who will be punished according to the law.