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It's safe to eat food after its best before date - Food for all Ghana

UNICEF Ghana in 2014 reported that 1 out of 4 children in parts of Ghana goes to bed hungry. Over 30% of Ghanaians do not have enough food to eat and over 45% of food is wasted along the food supply chain.

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Speaking to the media in Accra, he stated that companies in the country are wasting so much consumable food products due to the misconception on date labels and this could be channeled at improving the National school feeding program and also feed the vulnerable in Ghana.

On a national front, a lot of foodstuffs are lost during bumper harvest due to inadequate storage facilities and poor transportation network. Inefficiencies within our food supply chain have resulted in volumes of food going waste. Ghana might lose up to 10% of labour, productivity and 3% of GDP to food wastage.

“Most of the food products been wasted along Ghana’s food supply chain are perfectly edible food products which in some developed countries are allowed to be consumed. France recently passed a law that admonishes supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food forcing them instead to donate to charities and food banks. Global organizations such as FAO, WFP, Zero  Hunger Challenge and the US government are recently leading global campaigns on food waste and Ghana must equally pay attention to the economic and environmental impact of food wastage in the country.”

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Reduced sales and donation of best before dated food products must be allowed as it is done in other countries and this can be championed by the President of Ghana given his position as Co-chair for the advocacy of UN SDG’s to ensure the attainment of UN sustainable Goal 2 and 12.

Mr. Addo added that stakeholders should make it a point to participate in the upcoming Food for All Ghana conference on 26 May at the Press centre in Accra to work towards creating sustainable means of nutrition in Ghana.

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