Posted on :Thursday , 29th October 2020

HealthyFoodsAfrica has engaged stakeholders within the food processing industry to develop and update them on relevant innovative food packaging, processing and preservation.

The stakeholders would also brainstorm on how to design improved technology in preservation and smoking in processing of fish to avoid carcinogens in the end product for consumers.

Experts from the Council for Scientic and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Fisheries Commission, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), University of Ghana (UG), Chefs Association, and Fish Processing Association are a part of this association.

Dr Seth Agyarkwa of the CSIR, shedding light on the workshop, said the foremost objective of the project was to look at how food and fish should be produced efficiently and sustainably and  to reduce the impact on the climate change.

For instance, he mentioned that the project would discuss ways of improving the preservation and packaging of  'momoni' and 'koobi' and anchovies a popular food delicacy, and  the method of  smoking  comes with huge health burdens.

HealthyFoodsAfrica aims to increase food resilience systems and to link food production to nutrition and healthy methods, through the creation of innovative technologies and practices also as governance arrangements.

The project is being implemented in six countries in Africa namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Benin and Zambia also enabling to reinforce indigenous fishes and food consumption in the markets.

In Ghana, HealthyFoodsAfrica is is in collaboration with CSIR and more labs using Food Systems, a coined term for selected communities for the implementation.

Amy Atter, Senior Research Officer at CSIR and PI for the project, said in other to not replicate any technology, the engagement sought to disclose already existing technologies and therefore the way best to incorporate it for adaptation by stakeholders.