The internationally recognised National Accreditation Board of ANSI noted that the FDA had increased its ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 17025:2017 testing scope with effect from June 3, 2022.

Through the ISO accreditation and surveillance audits conducted between March 28 2022 and April 4, 2022, it said that FDA’s Laboratory now had the largest ISO accreditation scope in Africa.

This was contained in a press release issued and signed by Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO), Health Products and Technologies Division of the FDA, Mr Seth Seaneke, in Accra on Friday.

It stated that the FDA currently had 55 parameters, seven more than the previous 48 parameters.

It explained that the seven new parameters comprised of five parameters for the Food Physicochemical laboratory and two for the Pharmaceutical Microbiology laboratory.

“This enviable feat obviously places FDA in a position to meet internationally accepted scientific laboratory practices as it also allows the authority to issue Export Certificates in accordance with Section 131 of the Public Health Act, 2012, (Act 851),” it said.

The statement added that locally manufactured products such as foods, drugs, medical devices, herbal medicines, and household chemical substances that were certified by the FDA would be considered as having met international standards and that will be a game changer in the advancement of the African Continental Free Trade Area protocols.

However, the Chief Executive Officer, MrsDelese Mimi Darko, attributed the significant achievement to the dedication and tenacity of the staff of the laboratory, and its quality systems and policies that ensured robust testing using international standards.

She, therefore, urged staff to continue to uphold the high standards of the FDA since that was the surest way of achieving major milestones.