The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), says investigations into the Marwako food poisoning incident at its East Legon branch indicate heavy microbial load which can be linked to the food-borne disease reported.
FDA said samples collected from the Abelemkpe and La branches were also found to be heavily contaminated.
It says the levels of sanitation and hygiene in the food preparation areas in all three facilities were poor.
The investigations also established poor storage practices as temperatures of deep freezers and refrigerators were above the acceptable ranges.
The handling practices of ingredients used in cooking, cooked and ready-to-eat food items were also very poor.
The FDA in a statement said investigations into the cause of the contamination were hampered by the unapproved and unilateral decision of management of Marwako to destroy some of the food items.
It said, it has applied the appropriate regulatory sanctions and also monitoring the implementation of corrective and preventive actions by management of Marwako Fast Food to address all the non-conformance identified to prevent future occurrence.
In a related development, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is accusing the Management of Marwako of blocking further investigations into the food poisoning incident by destroying food items that were being investigated without approval.
The FDA however says it will continue to closely monitor all activities at Marwako Fast Foods Limited to ensure compliance to all applicable regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, catering services at the facilities remain suspended.
