Consumer Preference and Quality of Sachet Water Sold and Consumed in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

Good quality water is odourless, colourless, and free from faecal pollution, and a satisfactory safe supply must be made available to consumers. The study assessed consumer preference and quality of sachet water sold and consumed in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was used, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample size of 500 respondents. A total of twenty (20) samples of sachet water commonly sold and consumed in the Sunyani Municipality were also collected and analyzed for bacteriological and physicochemical parameters. Out of these 20 samples, 10 samples of sachet water were collected from the production site and the other 10 samples from the market site. Results showed that respondents’ choice of sachet water was based on several indicators. While 70% (350/500) of consumers indicated that sachet water had taste, 58% (290/500) of them were not enthused when the water had colour. Using smell as an indicator, 71% of consumers have had an experience with sachet water smell being questionable. Water taste (p<0.001), colour of water (p<0.001), smell (p<0.001), and increase in cost (p<0.001) were found as determinants of consumer preference. Consumers who said the colour of water informed their decision when buying sachet water were seven times more likely to have a preference for a particular brand (OR 7.057, CI: 4.474–11.133). Those who checked for expiry dates when buying water (OR 4.871, CI: 3.110–7.628) and those who looked out for Food and Drugs Authority stamp (OR 4.433, CI: 2.806–7.003) were both four times more likely to have a preference for a particular brand. Water quality tests also indicated that 30% of all water samples collected from the production site were contaminated with total coliforms and 50% of sachet water samples collected from the markets were also contaminated with coliforms. The same brands of sachet water that contained total coliforms from the production site were the same brands that contained total coliforms selected from the market. From this study, only total coliforms other than Escherichia coli were detected in the water samples analyzed. It was observed that the evaluated physicochemical parameters of the water analyzed were within the accepted WHO limits. It is recommended that consumers be educated about the indicators to look out for when buying sachet water and, also, that regulatory bodies be empowered to ban the sale of unwholesome brands of sachet water on the market.

Validation of the shelf life of NAFDAC‐certified sachet‐packed drinking water brands vended in Nigeria

“…Values of TCC in all the brands were found to still be <1 MPN 100 ml À1 at week 8 of storage and were within WHO/NAFDAC recommended limits (≤10 MPN 100 ml À1 ). This result negated findings in the work carried out by Oludairo and Aiyedun (2015) and Agboli et al (2018) who worked with sachet-packed drinking water produced in factories in Nigeria and Ghana, respectively, but partially agreed with the study performed by Addo et al (2020) who indicated that 70% of sachetpacked drinking water produced in Ghana were not contaminated with total Coliforms. As was also observed by Addo et al (2020), no thermo-tolerant Coliforms were present in all the seven sachet-packed water brands examined as indicated by the absence of E. coli.…”

“…In Nigeria, NAFDAC recommends that all registered sachet-packed drinking water should have a shelf life of 2 months (Akinde et al 2011). Shelf life compliance is largely driven by parameters that influence the overall quality (Addo et al 2020) of the packaged drinking water rather than those that influence the safety of the packaged water. Thus, packaged drinking water that exceeds its shelf life date does not immediately pose adverse health effects for human consumption.…”

Microbiological Analysis of Hawked-Cooked Food: Evidence from Ready-to-Eat Food Vendors in Dutse Ultra-Modern Market, Northwestern, Nigeria

“…Hawked cooked food sellers usage of trays, stalls, and wheelbarrows raises the possibility of food contamination. Food hawking is done without adequate storage conditions, exposing the foods to flies harbouring microorganisms and also ensuring that the food is kept at ambient temperature, which favours the proliferation of microbial contaminants, pathogenic mesophiles, and other disease-causing agents [29,30].…”

Assessment of Water Quality Index and the Probable Human Health Implications of Consuming Packaged Groundwater from Abeokuta and Sagamu, Southwestern Nigeria

“…They eventually become bio-available in the body system, where they contend and displace essential minerals (e.g., Ca, Cu, Mg, and Zn) and also restrict organs' functions [18]. Several studies have reported the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of sachet water [19][20][21][22][23], but very few have assessed its health risks [15], and few or none are on water quality index (WQI) and its relationship with health risk indices. The essence of the WQI is to determine the appropriateness of water for drinking purposes and the sustainable protection of public health [24].…”