Ghana has placed a temporary ban on poultry products import from the USA as part of efforts to stop the spread of arsenic, which can lead to developing cancer
Hannah Bisiw, deputy agricultural minister of Ghana, said that the restriction of chicken imports from the USA should help protect Ghanaians from any possible harm.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance found in food, air, soil and water. Scientists believe that arsenic can be transformed from an organic form to inorganic form, which is dangerous to health.
Bisiw added that until the products are declared safe for consumption, the country will not allow them in the Ghanaian market.
”Products, which have already been imported into the country will be difficult to trace but measures are being put in place to ensure that the Food and Drugs Authority and the Standards Authority take samples of what is currently in the country to ascertain their wholesomeness,” Bisiw noted.
Edward Archer, senior regulatory officer at Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana, added that the arsenic levels found are too low to cause any harm.
The US Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) noted on its website that it detected higher levels of inorganic arsenic in the livers of broiler chickens after conducting a recent study of 100 broilers.
