The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is poised to engage the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in a critical dialogue over proposed advertising guidelines for the beverage industry. The meeting comes amid growing industry concern over the potential impact of the new regulations on business operations.
AGI CEO Seth Twum Akwaboah, in an interview with Citi News expressed confidence for a constructive outcome.
“We’ve been invited by the FDA to discuss certain regulatory issues affecting the beverage industry. This isn’t our first engagement with them on this matter they’re in the process of introducing new regulations,” he is quoted as saying.
While the AGI acknowledges the importance of consumer protection, the association insists that the rules must not stifle industry growth or innovation.
“The FDA initially shared a draft of the regulations with our members for feedback. During our meeting, we emphasized that our inputs were constructive and should be reflected in the revised document. They’ve since worked on those revisions and invited us to engage further based on the updated version,” Akwaboah said.
However, the AGI says it has yet to receive the revised version of the regulations ahead of the scheduled meeting.
“We requested the revised version to allow us to prepare and make meaningful contributions. Unfortunately, we haven’t received it yet possibly because it’s still being finalized. Nonetheless, the engagement is proceeding as scheduled,” he added.
This latest engagement signals both parties’ willingness to find a middle ground where health regulations and business competitiveness can coexist. The outcome of the talks is expected to influence how beverages are marketed in Ghana moving forward, with implications for advertising content, target audiences, and compliance protocols.
