Ghana has launched a nationwide investigation into alleged plastic contamination of plantain chips sold across the country.

The Food and Drugs Authority said it had begun market surveillance and laboratory testing of plantain chips across the country after viral footage shared on social media appeared to show food processors deliberately melting polyethylene into hot oil during production to increase the chips’ crispiness and extend their shelf life, the Ghana News Agency reports.

The FDA, in a statement, said the investigation was aimed at determining the authenticity of the claims and safeguarding consumers.

“For the records, deliberate melting of plastic in frying oil is a direct chemical contamination of food, making it unwholesome for human consumption,” the authority said.

Leaching chemicals

The FDA warned that introducing plastic materials, particularly Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), into hot oil posed serious public health risks and “accelerates the leaching of plasticizers, phthalates and antioxidants from the plastic into the food,” it said.

The regulator said it was working with local authorities and the Ghana Police Service to monitor vendors suspected of unsafe food processing practices and pledged to release the results of laboratory tests once investigations are complete.

Cases of food poisoning have occurred in the past and have been linked to contaminated street food, poor sanitation and inadequate food safety enforcement.

The FDA in 2022 shut down a popular fast-food restaurant after repeated and escalating cases of food poisoning linked to the outlet.