Food Scientists project increase in cancer cases due to high levels of food contamination

Food scientists have predicted a rise in cancer cases, attributing this to increased food contamination caused by the deteriorating impact of illegal mining activities in the country.

This follows the rate at which illegal mining activities are worsening in many parts of Ghana, leading to significant health risks due to environmental contamination.

Recent research has found heavy metal debris in crop products available in the market, highlighting the detrimental effects of illegal mining on the health of Ghanaians.

Food scientists and Senior Lecturers at the Department of Food Science and Technology of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology have drawn a link between food contamination and the rising cases of various types of cancer in the country.

According to a report on the Ministry of Health’s website, a study by the Cancer Society of Ghana reported approximately 12,700 cancer deaths in 2008.

Statistics show nearly 95,000 cases of cancer were reported in 2019, marking an increase from the previous year’s 90.7 thousand cases.

In 2022, Global Cancer Observatory reported 27,385 new cases of cancer and 17,944 deaths.

With these figures, food scientists are raising concerns that Ghana will see an alarming increase in cases due to food contamination resulting from illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.

Dr. Herman Lutterodt, a food Scientist and a senior lecturer at the Department of Food Science and Technology of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, expressed worry about the situation and called for an immediate intervention.

“Unfortunately, the way galamsey is done introduces a lot of hazards into the soil and water bodies. These contaminants find their way into our food chain. So, we use water from these water bodies to irrigate our crops, and we grow our crops on soil that has been contaminated with these toxic metals. The crops absorb these contaminants, and we consume them in our food.

“We have done some studies recently, and we are finding a lot of heavy metals in our crops such as cassava, cocoyam, and other crops that we regularly consume. It’s a big problem. Many of these toxic metals are carcinogenic, which means they are cancer-causing. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us if we find that the incidence of some cancers is on the rise in the country,” he said.

Dr. Lutterodt also expressed concerns about the structure of Ghanaian markets, lamenting that they do not promote hygiene practices, thereby exacerbating food contamination.

He further advocated for the regulation of pesticides and other agrochemicals in farming, as well as a complete ban on single-use plastics in food packaging, due to their health risks.

Dr Abena Boakye, another senior lecturer and food scientist, voiced concerns about the effects of plastic use in food packaging and indicated that some interventions were in place to improve hygiene practices.

“We sometimes engage some of the vendors and try to educate them on how best we can ensure the safety and sanctity of the food we eat. It even goes beyond just the display of the food. What about the food on the table, ready to be eaten?”

“We have had many issues with polythene and the use of plastics because not all plastics are meant for hot food. But what do we find? So, those are some of the training, some of the capacity-building efforts that we try to undertake with vendors in the market. We aim to see how best we can ensure safe food for everyone.”

Dr Frank Adu Asante, Deputy Managing Director of Cocoa Processing Company Limited, raised concerns about the decline in Cocoa Processing in the previous year due to the limited quantity of cocoa beans, influenced by illegal mining activities and weather conditions.
He thus projected an increase in production this year.

Dr Asante emphasised the health benefits of chocolate products and highlighted the collaboration between KNUST and Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC) to reduce chocolate prices by producing an alternative to lecithin, an expensive imported emulsifier which contributes to the high prices of chocolate.

These comments were made on the sidelines of the 20th Anniversary celebration of the Department of Food Science and Technology at KNUST.

Dr Boakye, a lead organiser of the event, highlighted that the department has, over the past 20 years, nurtured entrepreneurs and made a significant impact on the food industry in Ghana and globally.

Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!

Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x

No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital