The Progressive Licensing Scheme is a Government of Ghana initiative that would be implemented by the FDA that seeks to introduce a three (3) staged licensing regime to support small business units to improve on the safety, quality and wholesomeness of their products.

The FDA has introduced the PLS to encourage small scale and cottage sized food processors to be compliant with the food safety and quality standards of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) in the interest of public health and safety.

Most of the small and cottage scale business units have limited resources for effective technological inputs and are ill-equipped to deal with the maintenance of food safety and quality in a scientific and sustained manner. These smaller business units serve as hubs for thriving local industry sector, which would drive broad-based economic growth and structural transformation of the economy.

The transformation of the local food manufacturing industry can only be possible if regulators such as the FDA decide to ensure that the small scale and cottage sized food processors conform to the safety and quality requirements so that these food products can be traced and recalled whenever necessary.

The Progressive Licensing Scheme is aimed at accelerating the growth of the local food industry to an extent that all grocery shops and supermarkets will be stocked with at least 60% of made in Ghana food products.

In developing this Progressive Licensing Scheme for small-scale and cottage-sized food processors, the FDA has considered five principles that underpin food regulation. These considerations include the establishment of emergency procedures for dealing with hazards, such as, product recall, the development of science-based food control strategies and the establishment of priorities based on risk analysis and efficacy in risk management.

The others are the establishment of a holistic and integrated initiative, which target risks and impact on economic well-being, as well as educating owners of these small businesses to understand that the primary responsibility for food safety and quality rests with them.

The FDA would work assiduously to protect the consumer against unsafe, impure and fraudulently presented food by prohibiting the sale of food, not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser which will ensure the maintenance of consumer confidence in the food industry.

The Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) is a risk-based approach scheme where three types of food manufacturing facility license certificates assuring the safe production of food will be given to qualifying applicants.

It is based on a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standard where applicants get scored during an inspection and are awarded certificate ranges from pink (level 1) or yellow (level 2) or green (level 3) and hence the progressive nature.