The Ministry of Education has clarified allegations on the distribution of 22,000 bags of allegedly expired and repackaged rice to Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country.
The Ministry has said the rice was certified as wholesome by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) before the distribution.
The claims were made by North Tongu MP and former Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday, November 13.
He alleged that the rice expired in December 2023 and was placed in locally produced sacks labeled “ECOWAS” and “Made in Ghana rice,” but with no expiry date.
Mr. Ablakwa indicated that the National Food Buffer Stock Company collaborated with a company called Lamens Investments Africa Limited to repackage and supply the rice imported from India.
However, the Ministry has said initial findings following a probe into the allegation have revealed that the rice was initially imported with an expiry date of December 2023, but a portion remained unsupplied by the end of the year.
On the advice of the FDA, Lamens Ventures had the rice re-tested in India to determine whether its shelf life could be extended.
“Following re-evaluation, the FDA confirmed that the rice was still safe for consumption and granted an extension of the “Best Before” date to April 30, 2024,” the spokesperson, Kwasi Kwarteng, noted in a post on X.
Mr. Kwarteng noted that Lamens Ventures had formally requested approval from the FDA to rebag the remaining stock, reflecting the updated shelf life.
Below is Mr Kwarteng’s post:
For purposes of Education, my friend, Hon @S_OkudzetoAblak , can join me in reviewing this.
The concepts of expiry date and best before dates in product labelling are fundamentally different: pic.twitter.com/wmoNTiRt1R
— Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwartengF) November 15, 2024
