FDA Shuts Down Arcan Bitters Factory Again After Drug Substance Is Found in Alcoholic Drink

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Ashanti Region has shut down another factory linked to the production of Arcan Bitters after investigators reportedly discovered that the manufacturers had resumed operations despite an earlier shutdown over serious safety concerns.

The latest action took place at Senfi in the Bekwai Municipality, where officers closed a facility operated by Unni Associates Company Limited, the company behind the alcoholic beverage. The development has raised fresh questions about compliance with food safety rules and the measures needed to protect consumers in Ghana.

According to reports by Citi Newsroom, the company’s factory at Parkoso in the Asokore Mampong Municipality was closed in September 2026 after laboratory tests detected undeclared Sildenafil Citrate in Arcan Bitters. The FDA also ordered the product to be recalled from the Ghanaian market.

Sildenafil Citrate is a prescription medicine commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction. It is not permitted as an undeclared ingredient in an alcoholic beverage registered as a food product.

The discovery is particularly worrying because the drink is labelled as containing 35 per cent alcohol by volume. Consumers who purchase an alcoholic beverage may have no idea that it contains a medicinal substance that could interact with other medicines and affect their health.

The FDA has warned that combining Sildenafil Citrate with certain medications can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, potentially leading to serious complications, including heart attacks and strokes. The substance may also cause other health problems.

Reports indicate that the company allegedly began producing Arcan Bitters at the Senfi facility after the Parkoso factory was shut down. FDA officials have since locked the new facility and secured materials found there as part of their investigation.

The incident raises concerns about how recalled products can be kept off the market and how authorities can ensure that manufacturers comply with safety directives.

For consumers, the most urgent issue is their health. The FDA has advised the public not to purchase or consume Arcan Bitters and has urged retailers and distributors to comply with its recall directive.

The company’s side of the latest allegations was not included in the available reports, and the full circumstances surrounding the renewed production remain subject to investigation.