Chief Executive Officer of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Delese Mimi Darko, on July 29 last year announced that Sudan IV dye had not been approved for palm oil products.

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She explained that it was harmful for this product - Sudan IV dye - to be used as food additives.

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Delese Mimi Darko noted that palm oil producers who failed to comply with this directive would be sanctioned when caught.

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The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has announced that it has not approved the usage of Sudan IV dye for palm oil products in the country.

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Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of FDA, stated that the use of Sudan IV dyes as food additives is toxic and dangerous for human consumption.

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She urged palm oil producers to desist from using the dye to mix palm oil before selling them on the market.

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She noted that palm oil producers who fail to comply with this directive will be sanctioned when apprehended.

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“Sudan IV dye is not approved for use in food products, Sudan dyes are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 3 carcinogens and are banned as food additives worldwide (IARC, 1987),” the FDA boss said.

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“The Food and Drugs Authority has the mandate to ensure the sale of safe foods on our markets and we took several initiatives to reduce the incidence of food adulteration which includes palm oil,” she added.

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Delese Mimi Darko made this at the launch of the Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association app in Accra on Wednesday, July 28.

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Sudan IV dye is also used for the processing of non-food products such as textiles, leather, cosmetics, hair, mineral oils and so on.

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Sudan IV dye is naturally reddish due to the high beta-carotene content it contains.

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Source: Ghanaweb

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