KNUST Food Science Department Hosts Forum to Tackle Vegetable Supply Chain Contamination
The Department of Food Science and Technology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has held its Food Safety Stakeholders’ Forum,an approach aimed at reducing contamination along the vegetable supply chain. The forum brought together farmers, traders, regulators, health advocacy institutions, and certification agencies to find practical solutions for safeguarding vegetables before consumption.
The Head of Department, Professor (Mrs.) Faustina Wireko-Manu, shared the importance of the forum: “Ghana is lagging in terms of monitoring to ensure enforcement of our by-laws to produce safe food. It is in this light that the Department of Food Science and Technology has taken this pragmatic step to organize this all-important stakeholder forum to present our preliminary findings on contamination in the vegetable supply chain for discussion and prevention,” she emphasized.
She also reiterated the role of research in preventing vegetable contamination: “We are leaders in change, and so we need to find solutions for them. KNUST, as an institution, must be able to look at our water sources for farming, liaise with regulatory bodies so that, at least on campus alone, we can set that pace and others can follow.”/p>
“We also must do research and give simple solutions, apply simple technologies to keep them for longer periods and still be of high quality. There are a lot of solutions around, and as students, we should think about simple solutions during your projects so we can give them to our mothers so that they can make good use of them. We should have simple ways of managing and storing our produce and managing our water bodies,’ she added.
Professor William Ofosu, Chairperson of the Forum, underscored the importance of knowledge in vegetable cultivation to mitigate its associated risks: “The prevailing notion that vegetables are inherently safer than meat warrants critical examination. The significant contamination risk of vegetable cultivation demands a nuanced understanding. Addressing these issues is essential not only to dispel misconceptions but also to mitigate risks proactively,” he said.
He explained that while vegetables represent just one segment of our food sources, they serve as a critical starting point, and by focusing on them, we shed light on the broader systemic challenges.
Professor Ofosu also proposed designating June as an annual period for food safety forums, aligning with global food safety awareness campaigns, stating, “This strategic timing would amplify our visibility and reinforce our commitment to this essential cause.”
Dr. Eric Owusu Mensah, Lecture at the Department of Food Science and Technology, stated though there are significant advocacy for the consumption of freshy leafy vegetables, there are concerns remain on their safety.
‘this call for action and immediate pragmatic step to serve the lives of society, now and in the future because our learning outcomes emphasize applying skills to prevent and control foodborne disease,’ he stated.
Beforehand, students were grouped and tasked to select vegetable farms within KNUST and nearby markets for investigation.
They also presented preliminary findings with areas of key interest such as laws governing food safety, stakeholder roles, pesticide use and handling, marketing, and postharvest handling, among others.
Traders present advocated for mass education on traditional media outlets, conscientizing farmers, traders, processors, and distributors on the need to safeguard our food.
