<<Print>>

Market Direct, importers of Bella Tomato Paste, have dismissed report by an Accra daily that the Bella Tomato Paste is unsafe for consumption. A spokesperson for Market Direct, who is also the Spokesperson for Finatrade, Mr John Awuni, told the Daily Graphic that there was nothing poisonous about their product adding that it had undergone requisite testing. He said although their product contained starch and sugar, that did not make it unsafe for human consumption. �This is a common practice in the tomato industry worldwide,� he maintained. He said the regulatory authorities had intensified the monitoring of their products, stressing that there was no cause for alarm. When contacted, Mr Kofi Amponsah Bediako of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) said GSB was conducting market surveillance to get some sample of tomato paste on the market and conduct tests before its findings could be communicated to the public. He said for now, it was important for consumers to bear in mind that tomato paste per the standards must contain tomato paste, salt and natural seasoning.