The Minister of Trade and Indusry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has assured the members of the European Union that government would always support measures designed to achieve a high level of health protection in foodstuffs, particularly for the most fragile segments of the population, especially for children.
He said the Ghana Government has been following keenly, ongoing discussions within the European Union with a view to amending various regulations which seeks to set maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
Addressing the ministers and officials at the 12 Joint Session of the ACP-EU Ministerial Trade Committee in Brussels Mr Iddrisu said �While recognising the right of the institutions of the EC to take measures to protect human health, my country, and for that matter, the ACP Group, is of the considered opinion that there is the need to ensure proper balance between the necessary and appropriate levels of health protection and the minimum negative impact.
He revealed that the maximum residual limits, as envisaged for cocoa powder and chocolate products, would definitely place a further burden on ACP producers who would have to ensure that the raw materials used in the process are proven �safe" enough for the processors.
Given the most likely impact of increased poverty and the absence of any case reports on Cadmium-related health issues caused by the consumption of chocolate and other cocoa products, Ghana�s Trade and Industry Minister proposed that an agenda be set up to work towards the reduction of contamination of cocoa beans, especially the environmental sources of contamination.
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