FDA orders 14-day recall of Franko Herbal Mixture over drug contamination

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has ordered Franko Herbal Centre to recall its Franko Herbal Mixture from the market within 14 days after laboratory analysis detected the presence of diazepam and paracetamol in the product. The FDA has also closed the company’s manufacturing facility in Jacobu in the Amansie Ashanti Region and warned that failure to comply with the directives could lead to further regulatory sanctions, including criminal prosecution. According to a statement released on October 19, 2026, the FDA said it would oversee the safe disposal of all recalled products to ensure their complete removal from circulation and protect public health.

This action follows FDA tests on Franko Herbal Mixture, registered as a herbal medicine containing ingredients such as Carica papaya, Alstonei boonei, and Tetrapleura tetraptera. But the tests showed the product had been mixed with diazepam, which is only available by prescription, and paracetamol, which is often used for pain and fever. The FDA said having these two drugs in a product registered only as a herbal medicine breaks the rules and puts consumers’ health and safety at risk.

The FDA explained that diazepam is a benzodiazepine, a type of medicine used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms, and some seizures. Although diazepam has real medical uses, the FDA warned that having it in an unapproved herbal product could be dangerous, especially if people are taking other medicines at the same time. The Authority said diazepam can react with other medicines and raise the risk of severe drowsiness, breathing problems, coma, or even death.

The FDA also warned that using the drug for a long time or misusing it could harm the central nervous system. Possible side effects are confusion, memory problems, dizziness, tiredness, nightmares, seeing things that aren’t there, poor judgement, and seizures. The Authority also warned about paracetamol in the mixture, saying that while it is often used for mild or moderate pain and fever, taking too much can be very dangerous.

The FDA said the risks from these two substances mean people should avoid the product while the recall and other actions are underway. The Authority has also shut down the company’s manufacturing facility at Jacobu in the Ashanti Region, warning that failure to comply with the directives could lead to further regulatory sanctions, including criminal prosecution. In a statement, the FDA said laboratory analysis found that the product, registered as a herbal medicinal preparation containing Carica papaya, Alstonei boonei and Tetrapleura tetraptera, had been adulterated with diazepam, a prescription-only medicine, and paracetamol, commonly used to relieve pain and reduce fever.

The FDA said the presence of the two pharmaceutical substances in a product registered strictly as a herbal medicine violated regulatory requirements and posed serious health risks to consumers. It added that it would supervise the safe disposal of all recalled products to ensure they were completely removed from circulation. The Authority explained that diazepam, a benzodiazepine, is prescribed for conditions including anxiety disorders, acute alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms and certain types of seizures.