A growing trend amongst Ghanian consumers for extreme skin whitening measures is said to be cause for concern for the Food and Drugs Authority, according to a report by ghanaweb.com.

As part of this trend, consumers are said to be aiming to get an all over and even tan by ingesting pills and tablets, which haven’t been approved by the FDA, in order to emulate bleaching trends from other cultures.

Emmanuel Nkrumah, Head of Cosmetics and Household Chemical Substance Department of the Authority, is said to have advised against the use of the tablets due to their lack of certification, stating that the tablets could introduce users to ailments such as diabetes, cancer, liver and kidney problems.

Suggesting that surveillance is the way forward in counteracting the problem, Nkrumah said, “We are now liaising with the security agencies to enable us trace the sources of these pills and tablets and we urge consumers of these cosmetic products to also stop the practice with immediate effect.”

Doctors and nurses are being encouraged to report patients to the authority that are thought to have taken the unregistered products.