Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority has disclosed that
bleaching creams have been banned from entering the country, since January this
year. This was revealed when Agency's Chief Executive Officer appeared before
the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, to assist in queries
leveled against them by the Auditor General on Public Accounts of Ghana for the
year 2015.
Speaking at the sitting of the Committee, Chief Executive
Officer of FDA Delese Mimi Darko stated that the bleaching agent in creams,
hydroquinone, has been banned from imported cream products. She told the
Committee that FDA has taken that standard and implementing it fully.
She confirmed that since January, 2017, no product is
registered with hydroquinone in it. Ms Darko noted that FDA has had meetings
with all the importers of creams and has told them what the new standard is and
the fact that it is already in force. The head of FDA stressed that they have
also met with cosmetic sellers in markets about the decision and that the FDA
is working with all stakeholders to ensure that these products are not sold to
the public.
Ghanavibes reported that the deadline to the sellers to
clear any products with the agent in them was last year. However, the Chairman
of the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, was worried about the damage being
caused by the products in the system. Ms Darko, further assured the Committee
that FDA is in control regulating what is on the market. She also maintained
that the Authority is no more allowing such products into the country. As per
the new policy, Ghana will in the near future be a bleaching-free society, she
assured.
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