The Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia (FSQA) has confirmed that their officials visited the Banjul dumpsite, where two people were allegedly arrested for reprocessing expired mayonnaise from the dumpsite into cooking oil.

“The Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia (FSQA) has learned through various social media platforms the reprocessing of disposed Mayonnaise products into oil at the Banjul dumpsite. Upon receiving this information, officials of the FSQA visited the dumpsite and observed that a large number of mayonnaise products with the brand name BAMA in cartons and bottle containers were disposed of indiscriminately,” they said.

Food Safety said they noted that the label on the bottle containers and cartons indicate that the products will expire in December 2023 and said Some of the bottles of the mayonnaise were found in bad condition.

 FSQA clarified that the Authority was not notified of the disposal of the said products and assures the public that they are working with other stakeholders to trace the owners 

“FSQA would like to assure the public that the Authority is working with stakeholders to trace the owner of these products and ascertain the reasons for the disposal and reprocessing,” they said.

The authority said the reprocessing of these products into oil has ceased and investigations into the matter have been initiated by the Police;

“The safety and well-being of consumers remain Government’s utmost priority. FSQA is committed to taking prompt and appropriate actions to address any potential risks and uphold the integrity of the food supply chain in The Gambia. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and to report any food safety concerns they may have to FSQA using the Toll-free 1299 or any other means. By working together, we can ensure the highest level of food safety and protect the health,” The statement states,” they concluded.