The Eastern Regional Manager of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs. Anita Owusu-Kuffour, has called for the immediate prohibition of the locally metal manufactured cookware popularly known as “Dades3n.”
She cited the detection of dangerous levels of lead used in the production process, warning that the contamination poses severe health risks to consumers.
Mrs. Owusu-Kuffour made the appeal during a stakeholder meeting on heavy-metal contamination in cereal-legume food products in Somanya, located in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.
According to her, FDA monitoring has revealed that lead — a highly toxic heavy metal — is often introduced during the manufacturing of “Dadesen” cookware to soften the metal and make moulding easier.
This practice, she stressed, exposes users to life-threatening conditions, including cancer, kidney failure, and Parkinson’s disease.
“When they are making the pots, the metal becomes hard, so they add lead to soften it. The sad part is that most of the local manufacturers have no idea about the health implications,” she said. “We are therefore advising the public to stop using ‘Dades3n’ that contain lead.”
Responding to questions about how consumers can identify pots made with lead, she explained that prevention must start with artisans themselves. She urged local producers to abandon the use of lead entirely and adopt safer materials such as stainless steel for cookware manufacturing.
Mrs. Owusu-Kuffour also issued a warning regarding improper use of non-stick cookware, noting that once the protective coating begins to wear off, harmful chemicals and heavy metals can leach into food.
“If the coating wears off, you are exposing yourself to serious health implications including cancer, because some of these coatings also contain heavy metals,” she explained.
She further cautioned that certain materials used in kitchenware production can become hazardous when scratched or corroded, allowing toxic substances to seep into food and eventually into the bloodstream, potentially causing chronic health issues.
“A good-quality stainless steel product can serve both purposes; safety and durability,” she said.
Emphasising a collective responsibility toward food safety, she added, “As science and technology improve, it is important for all of us to adapt and move away from harmful practices to protect public health.”
In 2023, a comprehensive study of nearly 200 consumer products and food samples across four regions in Ghana uncovered troubling levels of lead contamination in the widely used ‘dades3n’ metal cookware.
Conducted under the Global Rapid Market screening initiative, the research — the largest of its kind — revealed significant lead levels in items produced in low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, with wide-ranging global implications.
Findings from Pure Earth’s Blacksmith Initiative indicated high contamination rates as follows: metal cookware “Dades3n” at 55%, ceramic cookware at 18%, children’s toys at 14%, and cosmetics (particularly local mascara) at 7%.
A recent World Bank report further underscored the gravity of the issue, linking severe lead exposure to reduced intelligence in young children.
“Children under 5 years old worldwide lost 765 million IQ points, those living in low and middle-income countries lost 729 million IQ points.”
It continued: “There is an average loss of 5.9 IQ points per child and this IQ points loss is 80% greater than the previous estimate.”
