Ghanaian highlife musician Kwabena Kwabena has called on the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to investigate the quality of Voltic Cool sachet water after claiming that a sachet he purchased for cooking suddenly changed colour.
The celebrated singer raised the alarm in a video shared on social media, holding up two sachets from the same bag to show what he described as a stark difference in their appearance. According to Kwabena Kwabena, he had resorted to buying sachet water for cooking because he was concerned about the quality of tap water available to him. However, he became alarmed after some of the sachet water he had kept for a few weeks appeared discoloured.
“This is serious,” he said, calling on both the FDA and the GSA to investigate the quality of sachet water being sold to the public. He expressed concern that continued consumption or use of contaminated water for cooking could have consequences that consumers may not immediately recognise.
The musician has appealed to the regulatory authority to establish what may have caused the unusual colour change and determine whether the product meets Ghana’s required safety and quality standards.
A Broader Concern
The incident adds to growing public discussions about the safety and quality of sachet water in Ghana, where packaged water remains an essential source of drinking water for millions of households.
Sachet water — commonly referred to as “pure water” — is a staple in Ghanaian daily life, sold at roadside kiosks, markets, and transport terminals across the country. For many low-income households, it is the most accessible and affordable source of drinking water. However, concerns over production standards and regulatory oversight have persisted for years.
The FDA has previously emphasised the need for sachet water producers to comply with approved production standards, including proper sanitation and effective water treatment processes. In May 2026, the authority reiterated the importance of functional ultraviolet (UV) sterilisation systems in sachet water production, warning that filtration alone may not adequately eliminate harmful microorganisms.
The FDA’s Upper East Regional Office issued a stern directive to sachet water producers, mandating the use of functional UV light sterilisation to ensure public safety and water quality. Mr Abel Ndego, the Acting Upper East Regional Head of the FDA, explained that while Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems were effective at removing physical particles, they were not designed to eliminate biological threats.
“The reverse osmosis system is meant to separate very minute particles that are in the water but does not kill microorganisms,” he said. “It is the UV lights, both within the Koyo machine and the water line, that are responsible for killing the living microbes that escape the reverse osmosis system. This sterilization is what guarantees water safety”.
Regulatory Crackdown
The FDA has intensified its enforcement activities in 2026, expanding heavy metal testing for bottled and sachet water. In February, the authority introduced new requirements for testing drinking water for contaminants such as lead, following growing public concern about environmental pollution and its effect on drinking water.
“What we have done is that, for potable water, we have added the requirement to also check for heavy metals,” said Mr Roderick Daddey-Adjei, the FDA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Food Division. “For mineral water, heavy metal testing is already part of the standard. For ordinary potable water, where that requirement did not previously exist, it has now been added”.
The FDA has also shut down dozens of unlicensed sachet water production facilities across the Greater Accra Region. In July 2026 alone, the authority closed 44 food manufacturing facilities, including sachet water producers and cold stores, for operating without the required licences and for serious hygiene breaches. Among those shut down was Virgen Natural Mineral Water, a sachet water manufacturing facility at Ashongman in the Ga East Municipality, after officials found that it was operating without the required licence.
During inspections, FDA officials found that some affected producers were using untreated drinking water and algae-contaminated water for production. Mr Ndego also disclosed that routine monitoring exercises revealed that some producers were using packaging materials belonging to other brands — a practice he labelled “highly criminal” under the Public Health Act, describing it as a dangerous deception of the consumer.
GMA Warning and Criticism of FDA
Despite these efforts, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has warned that nearly 80 per cent of sachet water currently on the market could be contaminated. Dr. Richard Salomey, the General Secretary of the GMA, described the situation as deeply troubling, noting that sachet water remains one of the most widely consumed sources of drinking water in Ghana. He stressed that the issue goes beyond contamination, pointing to serious deficiencies across the entire production chain — from processing and packaging to handling and distribution.
The Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) has also accused the FDA of regulatory lapses, with its Executive Director, Appiah Kissi Adomako, warning that the presence of FDA approval seals alone does not guarantee product safety. He called on the authority to strengthen its oversight role and enhance collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure strict compliance with safety standards.
What Happens Next
For Kwabena Kwabena, the reported incident involving the Voltic Cool sachet water has become a reason to seek answers from the relevant authorities. The FDA has not yet publicly responded to the musician’s call for an investigation.
However, the musician’s claim is only about the specific sachet he purchased and does not, by itself, establish that Voltic Cool sachet water is generally unsafe for consumption. The cause of the colour change remains to be established, and laboratory testing would be necessary to determine whether the affected sachet contained any contaminants or failed to meet the required standards.
The FDA has urged the public to patronise only registered sachet and bottled water manufactured in Ghana that bear the FDA product registration numbers, as monitoring and enforcement activities continue.
As one of Ghana’s most recognisable entertainers, Kwabena Kwabena’s intervention is likely to amplify public pressure on regulators to act decisively on sachet water quality — an issue that affects millions of Ghanaians daily.
