Vice President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Humphrey Ayim Darke says government should come up with a law that will compel food processing and beverage companies to fortify their produce.

According to him, such a move is necessary to improve upon the quality of local products and also be more competitive in the wake of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

He further argues that the fortification of food products and beverages with essential vitamins and minerals are extremely essential to ensure the good health of consumers.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Humphrey Ayim Darke said government must do well to implement a law to ensure local food products are of the highest quality.

“We believe that fortified products will have to go through a legislative instrument. We will urge the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to explore that space so that all food and beverage producers will go through a product certification process by law instead of doing it voluntarily”.

He made these comments at the launch of the sidelines of Obaasima Fortified Foods.

Obaasima is the first Front of Pack (FOP) seal that differentiates fortified nutritious foods from the rest in the market.

The voluntary seal is jointly owned and steered by the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and is anchored on the key donor partnerships from BMZ/GIZ, DSM, Sight and Life Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Obaasima seal guarantees that food products carrying the seal fulfil certain nutrition criteria, including a minimum content of minerals and vitamins and maximum permissible levels of sugar and salt.

The AGI has led the acquisition of new companies who will produce fortified products to add to the Obaasima portfolio.

Fifty-seven food processing companies have been identified and the Obaasima idea have been pitched to them.