A sweeping nationwide study has uncovered disturbing levels of lead, cadmium and mercury in foods and cosmetic products commonly consumed or used by women and children across all 16 regions.
The research, jointly carried out by the Food and Drugs Authority and UNICEF, analysed 1,691 samples of turmeric, cereal mixes, bentonite clay known as ayilo, kohl used as kajikaji and skin-lightening creams and lotions.
According to Dr Emmanuel Kyeremateng-Amoah, a health specialist with UNICEF, some kohl samples contained lead concentrations as high as 11,000ppm — a figure he described as one hundred times higher than the safe limit of 20ppm.
He noted that lead contamination was most widespread in unbranded, locally produced kohl, adding that the Upper East and Eastern regions recorded a 78 per cent failure rate for lead.
Turmeric was also found to be heavily contaminated. Dr Kyeremateng-Amoah said the study recorded a 42.1 per cent failure rate for lead in turmeric, with Greater Accra and the Central Region topping the chart. He explained that this contamination was particularly common in branded turmeric sold in supermarkets and retail shops.
The study also highlighted cadmium contamination in cereal mixes such as Tom Brown, showing a national failure rate of 29 per cent. Bentonite clay recorded a 24.6 per cent failure rate for lead, with the North East and Greater Accra regions showing the highest exposure.
Dr Kyeremateng-Amoah, speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, attributed much of the contamination to industrial sources including used car batteries and poor handling of e-waste.
He said UNICEF and its partners were preparing a national response plan and urged the media to help educate the public about the dangers the findings reveal. He also called for improved capacity at the Ministry of Health to test and diagnose lead poisoning, stressing the need for prevention.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the FDA, Roderick Kwabena Daddey-Adjei, warned that children face the greatest risk, since they absorb far more lead into their bodies than adults. He said even minimal exposure can impair kidney function, slow brain development, cause anaemia and negatively affect hearing, speech and learning.
“Lead is toxic to children because they absorb four to five times more than adults. It affects brain development, speech, hearing and learning, and even exposure in the womb can cause miscarriage or stillbirth,” he said, stressing the urgency for a national roadmap to shield children from harm.
He assured that the FDA would intensify public sensitisation and work with partners to establish proper standards for producing locally made pots and other items that come into contact with food. He encouraged the public to report safety concerns and noted that the FDA required stronger resourcing for effective testing and enforcement.
Paulina S. Addy, Director of the Women in Agriculture Development Directorate at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, proposed tax holidays for manufacturers of stainless steel utensils to support safer food preparation. She affirmed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the FDA and other agencies to tackle the country’s growing food safety challenges.
