Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield and financial returns are often low for smallholder farmers in Ghana.  Additionally, aflatoxin concentration in foods derived from peanut can be high enough to adversely affect human health.  Eight experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in northern Ghana to compare yield, financial returns, pest reaction, and aflatoxin contamination at harvest with traditional farmer versus improved practices.  Relative to the farmer practice, the improved practice consisted of weeding one extra time, applying local potassium-based soaps to suppress arthropods and pathogens, and application of either homogenized oyster shells or a commercial blend of fertilizer containing calcium.  Each of these field treatments were followed by either drying peanut on the soil surface and storing in traditional poly bags or drying peanut on tarps and storing in hermetically-sealed bags for 4 months.  Peanut yield and financial returns were significantly greater when a commercial blend of fertilizer or oyster shells were applied compared to the farmer practice of not applying any fertilizer.  Yield and financial returns were greater when a commercial fertilizer blend was applied compared with oyster shells.  Severity of early leaf spot [caused by <em>Passalora arachidicola</em> (Hori) U. Braun] and late leaf spot [caused by <em>Nothopassalora personata</em> (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) U. Braun, C. Nakash., Videira & Crous], scarring and penetration of pods by arthropods, and the number of arthropods at harvest were higher for the farmer practice than for either fertility treatment; no difference was noted when comparing across fertility treatments.  Less aflatoxin was observed for both improved practices in the field compared with the farmer practice.  Drying peanut on tarps resulted in less aflatoxin compared to drying peanut on the ground regardless of treatments in the field.  Aflatoxin concentration after storage was similar when comparing post-harvest treatments of drying on soil surface and storing in poly bags vs. drying on tarps and storing in hermetically-sealed bags. These results demonstrate that substantial financial gain can be realized when management in the field is increased compared with the traditional farmer practice.

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Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the various traditional foods available in two towns in Ghana and to assess consumer perception about these traditional foods. Traditional foods provide nutritional and health benefits, but their consumption keeps declining, such that some are becoming extinct. Design/methodology/approach – The level of knowledge of consumers and their attitude toward the consumption of traditional foods were determined. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Sekondi and four areas in Kumasi, with a sample size of 200 in each of the two towns. The data obtained were analyzed using Pearson correlation and Chi-square test for independence. Findings – While consumers had very good general knowledge of the traditional foods, most of them had little knowledge on nutrient compositions of the foods. About 95.5 per cent of respondents in Sekondi consumed traditional foods relative to those in Kumasi (62.5 per cent). There was no linear relationship existing between respondents’ knowledge, attitude and consumption of traditional foods (r < 0.50). More so, respondents’ attitude, knowledge and consumption of traditional foods, mostly, did not depend on the demographic factors (age and education). Other factors such as convenience, economic status of respondents and safety of traditional foods may be contributory factors to the low patronage and consumption of traditional foods. Originality/value – Most researches on traditional foods in Ghana have mostly focused on food ingredients; therefore, there is little or no available information on consumer perception of prepared traditional foods. Because consumer opinions change over time, there is a need to consistently gather data to help food industries and food service operators meet consumer needs and expectations.

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Pharmaceuticals, among the emerging contaminants, are pseudopersistent and recently of serious concern due to universal use, toxicity, and resistance development at low concentrations. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and risk of eight pharmaceuticals in surface water used for vegetable irrigation in Ghana’s Kumasi and Sunyani metropolises, which are influenced by hospitals, sewage treatment facilities, and market effluents. Samples were concentrated via solid-phase extraction (SPE) while liquid chromatography was used to identify and quantify the analytes. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and diclofenac were the detected analgesics in this study, with concentrations stretching from below detection limit (not detected) to 319.0 ng/L, while amoxicillin, trimethoprim, and cefuroxime were the detected antibiotics with a concentration range of no detection to 840.0 ng/L. Based on the available long-term data, an environmental risk assessment was conducted. Because of the presence of ibuprofen, the lowest trophic level and fish were shown to be at risk. The estimated risk quotient values for antibiotics resistance were above 1 for all the antibiotics investigated in surface water impacted by the wastewater of hospitals and pharmaceutical companies’ except surface water impacted by sewage treatment plants (STPs) and market wastewater. The existence of these pharmaceuticals in surface water does not only point to a general concern for the environment but also a potential health risk on humans and other lives as a result of their impact on drinking water and vegetable production in Ghana.

Honey is a natural source of food with countless health benefits. This study was to investigate the quality of honey from well-known honey extraction modes in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. 24 honey samples were taken from bee farms in two districts in the region and subjected to physicochemical and microbiology analysis. Moisture content of the honeys, their pH, water insoluble solids, and sugar were determined. ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 16140-1: 2016 methods of microbial assays were done to determine the presence of aerobes, coliforms, E.coli and fungi. Statistical analysis was carried out using the GraphPad Prism 5. The results indicated that moisture content of the honeys ranged from 14.46%-22.31%. The pH values were within the acidity range (4.1-4.3), whiles water insoluble solids ranged from 0.56% to 8.50%; sucrose level ranged from 2.64%-3.12%, but the pressed honey had the highest glucose+fructose (90%). There was significant differences (p<0.05) in the microbial quality of the honeys from the two districts, and under the different treatments. Cold extracted honeys recorded the highest bacterial count of 4.614 × 10 3 cfu/g, honey from pressed method had the least count of 3.30 × 10 2 cfu/g. Food pathogens were not detected. Aerobes were within safe limits; hence, these honeys were classified as safe for consumption. The results indicated that the best mode of honey extraction was by honey press. All the detected counts fell within the acceptable limits. The study concluded that generally, honey produced locally is safe for consumption.

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Aflatoxin in peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) and other crops can negatively affect human health, especially in countries where regulatory agencies do not have limits on aflatoxin entering the food supply chain. While considerable research has been conducted addressing aflatoxin contamination in peanut at individual steps in the supply chain, studies that quantify aflatoxin contamination following combinations of interventions of crop management, drying, and storage are limited. Research was conducted during 2016 and 2017 in two villages in southern Ghana to follow aflatoxin contamination along the supply chain and to compare improved practices with traditional farmer practices used by smallholders. The farmer practice of only a single weeding was compared with improved practices during the growing season up to harvest that included applying local soaps to suppress aphids ( Aphis gossypii Golver) that transmit peanut rosette virus disease ( Umbravirus: Tombusviridae e), one additional weeding, and calcium applied at pegging. The improved practice for drying included placing pods removed from plants onto tarps compared with the traditional practice of drying on the ground. Storing peanut for four months in hermetically-sealed bags was the improved practice compared with storing in traditional poly bags. All improved practices individually resulted in less aflatoxin contamination as compared to the farmer practices. While aflatoxin levels were found to be very low (<1 µg/g) at harvest, the levels increased significantly during drying and storage, with the improved methods resulting in lower levels. Greater estimated financial returns were noted when at least one improved practice along the supply chain was implemented through either increased yield or maintenance of quality kernels. Results from this research demonstrate progression of aflatoxin contamination at pre- and especially post-harvest in villages in Ghana. Future research needs to consider the effects of improved practices as components of packages that farmers can consider, and not just as individual interventions.