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The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Upper East Region has fined a pregnant woman GH₵25,000 for advertising unregistered products on social media.
The woman, identified as Madam Perpetual Akurugu, was found promoting unregistered aphrodisiacs and body enhancement products on TikTok, using videos filmed in her kitchen at Yorogo, a suburb of the Bolgatanga Municipality.
According to the FDA, the incident came to light during its routine online surveillance aimed at curbing the sale and advertisement of unregistered or unsafe products on both traditional and social media platforms.
Discovery and arrest
The Acting Upper East Regional Head of the FDA, Mr. Abel Ndego, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he came across Madam Akurugu’s videos while browsing social media late at night.
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“I was scrolling through social media around 2 a.m. when I found a video of this lady advertising products in Gurune, a local language. I checked her page and saw several videos promoting unregistered and potentially unsafe products,” he said.
He explained that he downloaded the videos and alerted his team, who later traced her location and conducted a coordinated operation at her home.
“When we arrived, we found the products neatly arranged in her kitchen cabinets. We confiscated them and arrested her immediately. Even though she is pregnant, the law will take its course to ensure she does not repeat such an act,” Mr. Ndego stated.
FDA’s ongoing surveillance
Mr. Ndego expressed concern about the growing misuse of social media for spreading misinformation about health-related products.
“We’ve observed that many people are using platforms like Facebook and TikTok to promote unregistered products. The FDA is mandated by the Public Health Act 851 of 2012 to monitor such activities and ensure that only approved and safe products are marketed,” he stressed.
He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to ensuring the Upper East Region remains fully compliant with national regulatory standards, saying, “We are leaving no stone unturned.”
Related enforcement exercise
In a separate operation, an FDA team led by Mr. Jiah Jiato Juah, Regulatory Officer I, conducted an inspection of cosmetic and supplement shops in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
At Malbas Body Essentials and Cosmetics, a newly opened shop in Soe, officials discovered several unregistered aphrodisiac and body enhancement products. Despite the shop owner’s pleas of ignorance, all unapproved items were confiscated.
Mr. Juah explained that the seized products would undergo laboratory testing to determine their safety before any registration process could proceed.
“We’ll continue to carry out regular and unannounced inspections to remove unregistered products from the market,” he said, warning individuals and businesses to desist from selling or advertising unapproved goods.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem