According to him, the company engaged in major infractions in the following ways: re-bagging about 22,000 bags of rice without prior approval from the FDA, re-bagging at an unlicensed facility without FDA’s supervision, and altering the labelling on the bags which he describes as deceptive.

While acknowledging the FDA’s authority to extend the rice’s “Best-Before” date after verifying its safety, Alhaji Hudu Mogtari argued that the company’s subsequent actions raise serious legal and ethical concerns about its intent.

He highlighted the company’s non-compliance with the FDA’s guidelines for repackaging of food products. Specifically, Alhaji Mogtari cited general requirement 3.1.1 “No firm or individual shall undertake repackaging operation without the authorization and supervision of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)”.

Guideline 3.1.4 also states that “All repackaged food products shall be adequately labelled and the labelling information shall comply with the FDA Guidelines for Labeling of Pre-packaged Food Products. The labelling information on all repackaged food products shall have the same substantive labelling declaration as the bulk product e.g. best-before Date, Batch Number, List of ingredients, Net Weight amongst others”.

Alhaji Hudu Mogtari further quoted guideline 3.1.6 to confirm the fact that, Lamens engaged in an act of illegality. The said legislation indicated that “The repackaging facility shall be licensed in accordance with the Guidelines for Licensing of Manufacturing Facilities”.

Alhaji Mogtari indicated that Lamens Investments’ failure to adhere to these guidelines constituted acts of illegality.

In a media interaction, the former FDA boss stated, “Regardless of the initial approval given by the FDA, the company failed to adhere to other food safety standards.”

He has called for a thorough investigation into the matter and urged authorities to impose stricter sanctions if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has clarified that the GH¢100,000 fine imposed on Lamens Investments Africa Limited was for multiple regulatory violations, not the quality of the Moshosho Rice imported from India.

The FDA in a statement said investigations revealed that Lamens Investments re-bagged the rice without obtaining prior approval, a critical step required to ensure product integrity and compliance with safety standards.

ALSO READ:

• FDA justifies extension of expired rice for SHSs, says it’s safe and wholesome

• ‘Expired Rice’: FDA fines Lamens investments GH¢100k for regulatory violations

The fine follows investigations into the alleged re-bagging of approximately 22,000 bags of 50kg rice, originally imported from India but falsely labeled as “Made in Ghana.”

The rice bags lacked essential information, including manufacturing and expiration dates, in violation of Ghanaian laws.

In a statement, the FDA revealed that investigations confirmed Lamens Investments re-bagged the rice without obtaining prior approval, a critical step required to ensure product integrity and compliance with safety standards.

The statement explained that the re-bagging operations were carried out in an unlicensed facility, and the company failed to ensure FDA supervision during the process.

“The FDA imposed an administrative fine of GH¢100,000 on Lamens Investments Africa Limited for the following regulatory breaches: Re-bagging the rice without prior FDA approval, conducting re-bagging operations in an unlicensed facility, and failing to ensure FDA supervision during the re-bagging process,” the statement said.

The authority clarified that the fine is unrelated to the quality of the rice itself, which had passed rigorous laboratory analyses.

The FDA stated that tests conducted by reputable institutions in India and Ghana, including the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), confirmed the rice met safety standards. However, the importer’s handling of the product violated protocols designed to protect public health.

In a separate development, the FDA recently approved an extension of the rice’s “best before” date from December 20, 2023, to April 30, 2024, after thorough scientific evaluation. However, the authority declined a request to extend the date further to December 2024, citing insufficient stability data to justify the extension.

The FDA also addressed public concerns about its acceptance of partial payments for administrative fines.

The authority explained that this practice allows regulatory actions to proceed without delay, ensuring that companies remain accountable while adhering to their financial commitments.

Reaffirming its mission to safeguard public health, the FDA emphasized that such enforcement actions are essential to maintaining trust in the food supply chain.

“We will continue to uphold the highest standards, taking decisive actions to protect public health and safety,” the FDA said.

ALSO READ:

• ‘Expired Rice’ Distribution: Minority demands arrest, calls for commission of inquiry

• Why the drama if FDA declared repackaged ‘expired’ rice wholesome? – Ablakwa asked