Fatty acids are important components of our diet and can be classified based on the number of unsaturated double bonds present in the fatty acid chain. Fish oils, which are a principal constituent of fish, are made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids with five (5) and six (6) double bonds and usually contain the ω-3 series of fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are derivatives with over 18 carbon atoms in their chains and

are classified as essential fatty acids because the human body is unable to synthesize them and must be included in any diet. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are the most important ω-3 fatty acids in fish and play a key role in cardiovascular, central nervous, immune and visual systems. Minerals, including copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and phosphorus, are essential inorganic nutrients required in small amounts between less than 1 and 2500 mg per day, depending on the mineral. Zinc is the second most abundant trace metal in higher animals, and the Zn2+ cation is a critical component of many proteins, playing an important function in most biological processes. Lower levels of Cu are essential for human health, while excess Cu can produce free radicals and cause toxicity or inflammation. Cu also influences the activities of enzymes, such as tyrosinase, cytochrome oxidase, and many more. Phosphorus is an important component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nucleic acid and is essential for acid-base balance, bone, and tooth formation. In this experiment, the chemicals and fatty acids extracted from Nile Tilapia were analyzed to understand their composition and nutritional value. The highest acid value of 10.98 mgKOH/gFat was obtained by oil extracted from wild tilapia fish caught from Weija in Accra. Variation was observed in the moisture, free fatty acid, acid value, Cu, Fe, P and Zn recorded for Tilapia fish oil extract analysed. Moisture content recorded for Tilapia fish oil extracts analysed ranged from 0.10-0.79% with oil extracted from wild Tilapia fish caught from Weija obtaining the highest moisture content of 0.79%. Free fatty acid obtained by fish oil extracts analysed ranged from 0.25 to 5.25%. A draft manuscript on the chemical analysis of the oils extracted from the guts of Nile Tilapia samples from 10 selected fish farms (cages, ponds, and wild) in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions of Ghana is being worked on in collaboration with the University of Helsinki team that worked on the fatty acid profile and tocopherols.

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the level of food safety knowledge and handling practices among key stakeholders in the tilapia value chain in Ghana. In addition, the study aimed to examine the nutrient profile of wild, cage, and pond-cultured tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) that are commonly available to Ghanaian consumers. To achieve this, the researchers administered well-structured, pretested questionnaires to two hundred and six (206) fishermen and fish farmers, as well as two hundred and one (201) fishmongers and processors in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana. The questionnaire aimed to investigate the stakeholders' knowledge and practices of food safety. Furthermore, the researchers collected tilapia samples from the wild, ponds, and cages in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions of Ghana, which were then analyzed for a range of nutrients such as proximate, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The results of the study showed that in general, stakeholders' food safety knowledge and practices were commendable but there were still some areas that required improvement to ensure the safety of consumers. Moreover, the wild and cultured tilapia samples collected were mostly composed of moisture (68.50%–80.64%), protein (14.88%–25.96%), and fat (2.21%–3.72%). In most cases, macro and microelements were detected. The main essential amino acids in tilapia were leucine and lysine, while the main non-essential amino acids were aspartic acid and glutamic acid. The vitamin A content varied from 0.03mg/100g to 0.63mg/100g. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in vitamin E concentrations in all tilapia samples analyzed. Overall, the nutritional makeup of the sampled tilapia suggests that it is a suitable source of nutrition for human consumption. However, it is worth noting that consuming gutted whole tilapia is highly beneficial due to its high nutritional value.

Aquaculture plays a crucial role in Ghana's food system, addressing the growing demand for sustainable animal protein alongside traditional marine fisheries. Despite its significance, global reports indicate that over 65% of cultivated fish go to waste annually. This study focused on Nile tilapia, a prominent cultured species, aiming to assess consumer wastage. A web-based survey gathered responses from 246 participants, exploring perceptions of edibility in various tilapia parts and preparation methods. Also, the various parts of the fish including flesh, fins, offal, head, scales, bones, and gill flap/operculum were carefully quantified. Results showed widespread tilapia consumption, with females exhibiting a stronger preference. Fried preparations were deemed more edible than boiled or grilled. Analysis of consumed and wasted parts revealed that approximately 30 to 45% of Nile tilapia in Ghana's supply chain is wasted, emphasizing the need for improved processing methods, potentially selling edible and inedible parts separately to mitigate aquaculture waste.

Fish gelatin serves as an important raw material in the production of drugs and other important products. As part of the effort to explore the possibility of transferring and upscaling the fish gelatin technology, a delegation from CSIR-FRI namely: Mr. Ebenezer Asiamah, Dr. Ethel Serwa Blessie and Mrs Rita Gyansah Tsiquaye visited the Entrance Pharmaceuticals & Research Centre owned by Mr. Samuel Amo Tobbinon 9th June 2023. This Centre is a leading producer of pharmaceutical products in West Africa with dedicated facilities for both production and in The Managing Director, Personal Assistant, and Secretary of the company were welcomed by the team. In the course of the discussions, CSIR-FRI highlighted the success and benefits of fish gelatin extraction, knowledge transfer to industry, and potential economic gains for pharmaceutical companies. Nonetheless, the MD emphasized that while gelatin was once their primary raw material for production, the company had to switch to maize starch because of the capsules' poor dissolution and binding problems.

He also pointed out that other industries, such as food production, cosmetics, photography, etc., will benefit as well because they still use gelatin in their processes. The potential of gelatin production according to him could be a big boost and good leverage for the local industry which relies heavily upon production and product development if its technology is accepted and implemented. They offered to test the gelatin sample for the project for free but they are yet to provide feedback as at the time of reporting.

As part of the Healthy Food Africa project, the various technologies developed had to be adopted by local up-takers/companies. A training programme was thus implemented to transfer these technologies to the interested parties. The participants comprised various agro-processing industries namely LynMay Farm to Fork, Success Axis Foods, Yokheved Enterprise, Delle’s Coast Enterprise, Selasie Foods, Okyeade Foods, Afra Koya Enterprise, Ndudu Foods & Beverages, Kafel Farms and Daa Fisheries Training Centre. The value-added products adopted by the HFA uptakers comprised fish chips, fish sausage, frozen okra and ademe, koobi in oil, koose mix, pancake mix and instant cereal mix. The goal of the training programme was to pass on knowledge on the developed products using the appropriate food processing techniques, packaging, storage, and marketing of their preferred products. The training programme began on the 3rd of April 2023 and ended on the 6th of April 2023 with an overall attendance of 42 participants in total, 22 of whom were men and 22 of whom were women. All sessions were conducted in person and facilitated by project team members and staff of the Product Development Laboratory of the CSIR – Food Research Institute. Participants were taken through the theoretical and practical aspects of the training. At the end of the training period, participants were enlightened, and this spurred them to select some of the novel food products they could incorporate into their businesses. Dr. Amy Atter announced at the end of the training that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) have granted Safe Fish Compliance Certification for the CSIR-FRI fish processing facility, allowing fish smoked from the facility to be considered safe for consumption and gain access to African markets under the AfCFTA agreement. She promised to apply for the European Union certification from the Ghana Standard Authority for fish and fisheries product exportation and presented the certificate to the Director, Prof. Charles Tortoe. Details of the training are presented in a report (CSIRFRI/RE/AA/2023/003).

After completing the training, each company chose one or two novel products that they planned to expand. Subsequently, food product samples for registration were produced by the Sensory Evaluation/Food Test Laboratory of the CSIR-Food Research Institute for the 10 uptakers and studies on the nutritional profile, microbial safety, and shelf-life of the products were carried out before submission to Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). The registration process involved submitting well-labelled packaged products, company registration certificates, and other documents. The companies and their selected product are listed in

Table 1

Some challenges that were experienced included delays in the submission of labels and packaging materials of their own choice for the food samples, mistakes in some information provided on labels and delays in communication/feedback from up takers. Training manuals for the seven innovative food products are still being developed.

Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a popular fish species in Ghana and is commonly consumed as a source of protein. The catfish industry according to processors has witnessed significant growth in recent years due to the rising demand for fish in the subregion. A lot more intensive aquaculture is being practiced which has seen a lot more people set up tanks for culturing the fishes. Aside from the traditional consumption of catfish, not a lot of work has been done on catfish in terms of value addition. The study aims to comprehensively compare the quality of catfishes from different farming systems [i.e., pond, tarpaulin, and concrete tanks] in terms of their microbial diversity, product development and safety, thus, assessing the impact of the farming system on the quality of the catfish. Other value addition options will be explored.

Sampling

Sampling took place between July and November 2023 with some supplementary currently taking place. A total of twelve (12) farms were randomly selected to be sampled from within the Greater Accra Region and Eastern Region. Sample locations included Haatso, Atomic, Mampong, Aburi, Ashaiman, Nsawam, and Kwabenya. The twelve (12) sample locations were made up of four (4) each of the three (3) different farming systems [i.e., pond, tarpaulin, and concrete tanks]. Catfish samples purchased were been frozen awaiting analysis.

Next steps

• Food Safety Analysis
• Microbial/molecular analysis
• Histamine
• Baseline chemical (proximate) study
• Product Development [Canning experiments]. Other value addition options such as vacuum packaged catfish chips, vacuum packaged grilled fish, dried catfish, smoked catfish, catfish sausage, catfish powder and so on will be explored.
• Texture profiling.
• Survey on consumption patterns.

A survey was conducted in September 2021 to evaluate stove technology innovations available in the country. The Ahotor oven was identified as the dominantly improved technology in Ghana. The technology comprises a combustion chamber fitted centrally to a Chorkor-like outer shell, with fish processing trays above as in a normal traditional oven. Above the combustion chamber, a fat-collecting tray is fitted that allows the hot gases to flow up through the fish while preventing any fat from dropping down onto the fire. A primary air inlet supplies oxygen into the combustion chamber to enhance the efficient combustion of fuelwood. The secondary air inlet located on top of the fuelwood entrance introduces cool air into the smoking chamber to meet with hot gases from the combustion chamber to enable an evenly distributed circulation of air and heat in the smoking chamber. The grate located in the combustion chamber improves combustion by reducing smoke emissions.

The Ahotor oven survey report reviewed found that the technology had numerous benefits for end users. The oven produces less smoke, produces fish with better taste, and gives the fish an attractive colour and texture. Furthermore, the users of the technology recorded no burns and less irritation of the eye during the operation.

However, there was an urgent need for Ahotor technology assessment and improvement. These technological advancements prioritize end-user preferences and expectations without compromising product output quality or consumer safety. A technical committee of experts was formed to evaluate the improved technologies and make recommendations for improvement actions.

Four different versions of the Ahotor Oven were developed. These versions made room for the use of alternative fuels, including charcoal briquettes and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). This was intended to allow fish processors to use a variety of fuel alternatives. In addition to these, technological improvements were made to the dominant chorkor oven as well as the FTT oven. The improvement works sought to address energy and time efficiencies, user-friendliness, polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) level improvement, safety, and affordability.

Following the stove improvement experiment, different fish species smoked on these ovens were sampled for PAH, chemical/nutritional, microbiological, energy, and other performance tests to determine the impact of the improvements on the technology. Mr. Emmanuel Kwarteng, the PhD student on this aspect of the work led this experiment. A member of the National Fish Processors and Traders Association (NAFPTA), Mrs. Borley B. Wradi and reps from the Fisheries Commission were invited to partake in the experiment. Data analysis is now underway.

The project team also received some guests visiting the fish processing facility. A three (3)-member delegation led by Ms Sonia Sharan from Oceana, USA, passed through. Oceana is the largest non-governmental organization in the world that is solely focused on ocean conservation. They utilize science-based campaigns to influence policy on a variety of oceanrelated topics. They are members of the Small-Scale Fisheries Hub, a forum for fishermen, fish workers, their communities, and allies. Additionally, they are a part of the global network known as the Aquatic/Blue Food Coalition, which promotes the importance of fish in food systems. Selected fish processors from the West African Sub-region were also brought in by the Food and Agricultural Organization. Members of the Ghana Aquaculture Association led by Mr. Francis De Heer also paid a visit to the facility. Others were the officials from the Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly, who came with fish processors operating within the Assembly to observe and learn the hygienic smoking process at CSIR-FRI.

Fish sausage production equipment was purchased and installed at the Fish Processing Hall for training.