The Food and Drugs Authority has warned that using cement or any other unapproved substance to preserve beans is illegal and unsafe, and must not be practiced in Ghana.
In its February 16, 2026 press release, the FDA said a viral video showing beans mixed with a white powder, believed to be concrete cement, does not represent any approved agricultural or food preservation method in the country. The Authority clarified that this method is not recognised or endorsed by the Plant Protection and Regulation Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
A review of the video showed that the language is not Ghanaian, and the translated narration revealed unsafe handling, including applying chemicals with bare hands and working without protective clothing. The footage also captured a person standing directly on a heap of beans with no protective gear.
The FDA stressed that cement use for food preservation is prohibited under Ghana’s food safety regulations and said it does not approve any practice that compromises food safety and public health. It condemned the use of unapproved substances, poor hygiene and direct hand contact with food without protective wear as breaches of acceptable safety standards.
The Authority urged aggregators and retailers to desist from such methods, and encouraged consumers to report any suspicious food handling or preservation practices to the FDA for investigation and possible sanctions.
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