Local manufacturers have been advised to pay attention to their labelling before submitting products for certification.

According to regulatory agencies, improper labelling affects the registration and certification process compelling such agencies to deny manufacturers product certification.

At an SME training workshop in Tamale, manufacturers at the Food and Drugs Authority noted that most Small and Medium Scale Enterprises who present their product labels for registration and certification are mostly disqualified because they do not meet the right requirements.

The situation according to players in the SME sector, has discouraged most local manufacturers from registering and certifying their products with the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority.

The effect of this is the lack of access to market and the inability of these products to compete on the global stage since labelling and certification plays a major role in the marketing of products.

Speaking to Citi Business News on the sidelines of a training workshop on labelling and standards compliance organised by the Global Shea Alliance, the Northern Regional Director for the FDA Martin Kusi, mentioned that defective labelling has been a key factor for the disqualification of some products

“What we have seen it that, most of the manufacturers don’t come to enquire about the requirements that are in place, for instance, the local manufacturers produce and come with labels that are defective, like labels without batch numbers, manufacturing date, location address for the manufacturer. In that case, it will be difficult for FDA to certify and approve the product to be put on the market”.

However, according to some local manufacturers, the process involved in registering and certification is cumbersome, thereby discouraging many from certifying their products.

But a Chief Scientific Officer with the Ghana Standards Authority, Charles Kuranchie debunked the notion saying, “sometimes people don’t do their homework well and feel that when they apply for it, tomorrow they can come for it, it’s a process and there is a review of the application to make sure the information submitted is adequate”.

Adding that, “the label is vetted to make sure you are not providing any misleading claim, the information is accurate. Because there is an inspection aspect of it and when we finish we test, people turn to feel it’s lengthy”

Meanwhile, Prince Nunoo, the member project manager for GSA, knowing the basics of products registration will help manufacturers hence the essence of the training,

“We are providing training for fifty Ghanaian SMEs to understand the export process, registration process that goes into product certification as they seek to export their products into the international market.”

The training workshop which brought together some 50 shea cosmetic and personal care base actors is supported by the UNIDO-WACOMP.