The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has commenced the intensification of its enforcement operations against the illegal importation and sale of unbranded second-hand diapers, which pose significant health risks to babies across the country.
Director of the Regional Operations Directorate at the FDA, Madam Maria Aba Lovelace-Johnson, in an interview on Star FM’s Morning Star on Thursday, April 23, 2026 revealed that officials have seized and destroyed morea recent haul of approximately 55,000 units since commencing the exercise.
According to the FDA, these second-hand diapes are often factory rejects or unbranded bulk items smuggled into Ghana concealed inside other goods.
“As they are opening [second-hand freezers], you see that there are diapers in. They conceal them,” Lovelace-Johnson noted, explaining that importers often hide them within bales of used clothing or inside second-hand appliances to bypass port inspections.
Once in the country, these materials are often manually sorted and repackaged in “tens and twenties” under unhygienic conditions—sometimes under trees or in kiosks—before being sold to unsuspecting parents.
The Authority warned that these products are particularly dangerous for vulnerable infants.
Because the diapers are not branded or registered, their material composition and absorbency levels are unknown, leading to severe skin rashes and infections.
”Babies are vulnerable, and female babies for crying out loud,” Madam Lovelace-Johnson stated, adding that poor-quality diapers can lead to complications that may not manifest until the child is older.
She advised parents and guardians to look out for properly branded products which have been labelled in English, detailing the manufacturer’s name, address, and country of origin and also look for the FDA registration number on locally manufactured goods.
“Consumers can also verify registered products via the official FDA website and also check the “Best Before” date, batch number, and net weight.
The FDA confirmed that all confiscated diapers are sent for “safe disposal” to ensure they do not find their way back into the hands of consumers.
Madam Lovelace-Johnson also encouraged the public to report any suspicious or unbranded diaper activities to the FDA’s “Blow the Whistle” hotlines at 055-111-2224 or 055-111-2225.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
