Ghana Launches Five-Year National Plan to Combat Heavy Metals in Food Supply

Ghana has officially launched a comprehensive five-year strategy aimed at curbing heavy metal contamination in the country’s food supply chain. Unveiled in Accra, the National Strategic Plan for Heavy Metals Reduction in Food (2026–2030) targets dangerous contaminants such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. These toxic metals have increasingly entered the local market through agricultural runoff, improper food processing, packaging, and environmental pollution, posing severe health risks particularly to young children and pregnant women.

​The initiative follows rigorous assessments by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), conducted with support from UNICEF, which uncovered trace amounts of lead and cadmium in various local food products and cosmetics. In response, Deputy Minister for Health Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah emphasized that fortifying the nation's food safety systems is essential not only for safeguarding public health, but also for enhancing the global competitiveness of Ghanaian exports. The new framework will focus on aggressive market surveillance, upgraded laboratory testing facilities, and stricter enforcement of industry compliance.

​To ensure long-term success, FDA Deputy Chief Executive Roderick Daddey-Adjei confirmed that the authority will work in tandem with multi-sectoral partners to track down and eliminate sources of contamination. By establishing clear cross-institutional accountability, surveillance, and heightened public awareness over the next five years, the Ghanaian government aims to build a resilient food ecosystem that restores consumer confidence both domestically and internationally.

@VoltaToday