The Status and Trends of Food Fraud in Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

Despite its seriousness, food fraud has not received the necessary attention in Ghana’s discourse on food safety. Food fraud is generally considered as the intentional misrepresentation of the contents or identity of food for economic gain. The study was aimed at assessing the food fraud awareness level of participants as well as the foods most likely to be implicated in food fraud cases in Tamale, Ghana. Data was collected from 385 participants, including food business operators and consumers, via a simple random sampling technique using a structured questionnaire. Most participants (54%) were not aware of food fraud and its related activities before the study. Beverages and juices, fruits and vegetables, spices, oils, meat and fish, baked foods, honey, milk, and semi-processed local foods such as groundnut paste, "Dawadawa," “Kulikuli zim,” and “Agushi powder” were all revealed to be implicated in food fraud by respondents. Adulteration was the most common food fraud action, but tampering, substitution, and mislabeling were also identified as ongoing in the study area. “Moora” (Bixa orellana seeds) was revealed as the key adulterant used in most foods. Food fraud, which is a threat to consumer health and well-being, is active in the region and is predicted to increase without strict regulation and increased sensitization about its dangers. The fight against food fraud should be refocused on making food defense systems like vulnerability analysis and critical control points (VACCP) a key aspect of food safety systems to tackle food fraud.

Securing the Plate with Forensic Science: Clamping Down on Food Fraud in Ghana

“…In the southern part of Ghana mostly in the country's capital Accra and other coastal areas like Cape coast and Takoradi, fried turkey or chicken locally know as "tsofi" is often enhanced with dye to make it more reddish in colour to attract more customers. Honey, milk and dairy products, spices, and alcoholic beverages such as palm wine and "pito" are also highly susceptible to food fraud practices in Ghana [15,18,19].…”

“…"Yaaji" (suya pepper), a spice blend that is commonly used in West African cuisine, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana is also known to be highly adulterated in Ghana with bad peanuts, spices and other condiments. "Dawadawa," a local kitchen spice made from the seeds of Parkia biglobosa, "kuli kuli" (a local snack made of groundnut paste which is oil fried and mostly consumed in the Northern belt of Ghana), and "kuli kuli zim" (a locally made meal from powdered groundnut and other cereals and mostly consumed in the Northern belt of Ghana) are also highly adulterated with low-grade cereals, spices, and other condiments in Ghanaian markets [19].…”

“…Food fraud is a prevalent issue in Ghana but is highly underreported [19], and it is driven by several factors, including globalization, financial incentives, and the low risk of being caught and penalized [18,30]. Understanding the fundamental causes of food theft in Ghana is essential to effectively combating the issue.…”