Kofi Kinaata Questions Approval of Cigarette-Shaped Candy in Ghana; FDA Raids Makola Market

• Ghanaian musician Kofi Kinaata questioned how a cigarette-shaped candy made its way onto the Ghanaian market, tagging the FDA to demand answers
• The post followed a video shared by Dr George highlighting the candy's design and its potential harmful effects on children
• The FDA responded the same day with an enforcement exercise at Makola market, leading to seizures and an arrest

Ghanaian musician Kofi Kinaata has questioned how a cigarette-shaped candy made its way onto the Ghanaian market, tagging the FDA to demand answers.

The product at the centre of the controversy is a cigarette-shaped candy branded "This is Candy: Cigarette Rod Lollipop." Its packaging describes the treat as one whose "smoke shape hides sweetness".

It promises buyers can be "joyful even without fire," a tagline many have criticised for leaning directly into cigarette imagery.

Each pack weighs approximately 5.5 grams and is styled to closely resemble a lit cigarette, complete with an orange tip.

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The product has reportedly been gaining popularity among schoolchildren in various parts of Accra in recent weeks.

Kofi Kinaata questions FDA approval

That resemblance to a real cigarette first caught public attention after X user Dr George shared a video on August 28, 2026, of a content creator raising awareness about the candy's growing presence on the Ghanaian market.

The content creator went into detail about the product and the harmful effects it could have on children.

The following day, Kofi Kinaata reposted the video, tagging the FDA directly and questioning how the product had been allowed onto the market. He wrote:

"Azaay..!! This is seriously concerning. Who approved this? @fdaghana"

Kofi Kinaata's X post is below.

Reactions to Kofi Kinaata's post

Kofi Kinaata's post triggered a wave of concern from Ghanaians, many of whom questioned the FDA's regulatory oversight and called for swift action.

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YEN.com.gh compiled some of the reactions below.

Dr. George wrote:

"I feel like it's a deliberate strategy to turn all our kids into smokers."

bernardmarc2 said:

"When they start arresting those who are selling it, the NPP will blame the government for arresting ordinary citizens."

Nanakwame_Nake commented:

"Kofi, this country naa, I don't understand ooh, is this FDA institution really functioning, tweaa."

ElvisGyasi8 indicated:

"They just have to make it in a different way... we can't just destroy what others bring to the market if it's only good. I think advising the producer to give a different packaging aspect will be good."

nino_brown6366 added:

"We are expecting a communique from the Foods Board, other than that the president must sack the CEO of the board."

King1Kusi wrote:

"Ghanaian leaders are... I'm trying to understand them but it's a noooo, smh."

SOnofMANSAH commented:

"I saw 3 kids with this on their mouth this morning, and I just shook my head."

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FDA responds with Makola market raid

Following the public backlash, the FDA responded the same day with a raid on traders selling the candy at Makola market.

In a post on X on August 29, 2026, the Authority confirmed it had carried out an enforcement exercise with the support of the Ghana Police Service and National Security, following the complaints and social media posts concerning the candy.

The FDA wrote:

"The FDA with support from the Ghana police and National Security has carried out an enforcement exercise at the Makola market following complaints and social media posts concerning a cigarette-shaped candy on sale on the Ghanaian market."

The exercise led to the confiscation of several packs of the candy and the arrest of one suspected trader.

The FDA cited the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247), both of which prohibit the sale, display, and advertising of tobacco or tobacco-mimicking products at points of sale in Ghana.

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The X post is below.

FDA shuts down Osu KFC

In a previous report by YEN.com.gh, the FDA temporarily shut down several food service businesses along Oxford Street and in Osu, including a KFC branch, after inspections found they lacked valid Food Hygiene Permits.

The closures came after officers carried out routine food safety checks across the two locations in July 2026.

The Authority used the exercise to reinforce that no food business may legally operate in Ghana without first obtaining the mandatory permit, warning that any establishment caught doing so risks closure and financial penalties.

Source: YEN.com.gh