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An improved fish smoking oven called FAO-Thiaroye Technique (FTT) has been introduced in Ghana and other countries in the Global South as a technical intervention for the high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in traditionally smoked fish produced in those regions. This study evaluated the extent to which the intervention reduces consumer exposure to PAHs (considering benzo(a)pyrene [BaP] as a marker) in smoked fish, using Ghana as a case. Smoked Sardinella sp. were sampled from two traditional ovens (Chorkor smoker and metal drum oven) and the FTT and their PAH levels were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Samples of the product were also purchased from informal markets in three selected regions of Ghana and analyzed for their PAH levels. Cross-sectional consumer surveys were conducted in the selected regions to determine intakes of the commodity. A probabilistic risk assessment of PAH was then done by the margin of exposure (MoE) approach. BaP MoE as low as 1,060 and 752 were obtained for products from the traditional ovens and the informal markets, respectively, whereas the lowest value for FTT products was approximately 161,000. MoE values less than 10,000 were considered to denote a serious public health concern requiring risk management action. Therefore, the findings suggest that there is a potential health concern of high consumer exposure to PAHs in traditionally smoked fish in Ghana, and that the FTT is a technically viable intervention for the problem.

Smoked fish is a major animal protein source in Ghana. However, traditional processing methods result in contamination of the products with elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs). Unsatisfactory handling and storage practices also predispose the products to other food safety hazards. An improved oven, called the FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT), has been introduced as an intervention. This study investigated the efficacy of the FTT through comparative fish smoking experiments with traditional ovens. Smoked fish from the test ovens were analyzed for PAHs [benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, chrysene], biogenic amines [β-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and tyramine], Escherichia coli (hygiene indicator), Pseudomonas sp. (biogenic amine producer) and Salmonella sp. (microbial pathogen). PAHs were identified as the most relevant hazards in the products, with a 100% prevalence and a 100% exceedance of EU regulatory limits. Histamine levels (maximum 49 mg/kg) were below the regulatory limit (200 mg/kg), and Salmonella sp. was not detected in any of the samples. Whereas PAH levels in FTT products (max. 1.8 μg/kg for BaP and max. 8 μg/kg for PAH4) were below EU limits (2 μg/kg for BaP and 12 μg/kg for PAH4), in products of the traditional ovens, the levels exceeded the regulatory limits by up to 33 times. A risk assessment showed that the FTT significantly reduced consumer exposure to the hazard. A sensory evaluation suggested consumer acceptance of FTT products. A multicriteria decision analysis considering food safety, consumer acceptance, occupational health, economic and environmental factors showed that the FTT is a viable intervention for reducing exposure to PAHs in smoked fish in Ghana, although its adoption would require significant financial inputs. The findings highlight the public health risks associated with the use of the traditional ovens, and the potency of the FTT to reduce such risks.

BACKGROUND Smoked fish is a major source of animal protein in developing countries. It is largely produced by hot-smoking on traditional kilns using fuelwood. This practice is associated with high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in products, with consequences for public health. An improved kiln, comprising the FAO-Thiaroye Technique (FTT), has been introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to address such a concern. The present study investigated the efficacy of the FTT in Ghana through comparative fish smoking experiments with traditional kilns followed by determination of PAH levels [benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and PAH4] in the products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For each kiln, the effect of smoking fuel type on PAH contamination was determined. The impact of the design characteristics of the FTT on the levels of the compounds was also determined. RESULTS Mean BaP and PAH4 levels in the FTT products were up to 1.8 and 7.6 μg kg-1 , respectively, whereas the corresponding levels in traditional kiln products were up to 70 and 395 μg kg-1 . PAH levels in FTT products were below European Union regulatory limits, whereas levels in traditional kiln products exceed such limits by up to 33-fold. Across kiln types, the use of wood fuels caused higher PAH contamination compared to the use of fully-lit charcoal as an alternative fuel. CONCLUSION The improved kiln (FTT) is efficacious in yielding smoked fish with a PAH content lower than the levels in traditional kiln products and also below current regulatory limits. Kiln design and type of processing fuel have significant impacts on PAH contamination during fish smoking. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

More than 60 percent of global production of smoked fishery products occurs in Africa and Asia, highlighting their tremendous significance in food and nutrition security and as a vehicle for livelihood support in these regions. However, prevailing processing technologies entail significant deleterious health implications for both processors and consumers. The main hazard relates to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known to have carcinogenic potential. In response to the PAH challenge and leveraging on the Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice guidelines for preventing their occurrence in smoked and dried products, the FAO-Thiaroye fish processing technique (FTT) was developed under a collaborative research approach between FAO and a fisheries institution in Senegal. To date, the FTT has been introduced in 16 countries. The technique addresses the PAH problem, and yields products that comply with international limits on the hazard, while fostering many social, economic and environmental benefits. However, experience from some African and Asian countries points to the need for a context-driven balance that ensures that the gains associated with its use can be realized without making expensive compromises, especially in terms of fisheries resources status and trade dynamics. Policy and regulatory frameworks need to be informed by a risk-based approach and supportive of consistent benchmarking and differentiation of FTT products. This document reviews the lessons from those countries, and makes the case for a hard, evidence-based, policy backbone to safeguard the sustainable, eco-friendly supply of safe smoked (and dried) fishery products to support food security, particularly in the developing world.

Reaching vulnerable populations in low-resource settings with effective business solutions is critical, given the global nature of food and nutrition security. Over a third of deaths of children under 5 years of age are directly or indirectly caused by undernutrition. The Lancet series on malnutrition (2013) estimates that over 220,000 lives of children under 5 years of age can be saved through the implementation of an infant and young child feeding and care package. A unique project being undertaken in Ghana aims to bring in two elements of innovation in infant and young child feeding. The first involves a public-private partnership (PPP) to develop and test the efficacy and effectiveness of the delivery of a low-cost complementary food supplement in Ghana called KOKO Plus™. The second involves the testing of the concepts of social entrepreneurship and social business models in the distribution and delivery of the product. This paper shares information on the ongoing activities in the testing of concepts of PPPs, social business, social marketing, and demand creation using different delivery platforms to achieve optimal nutrition in Ghanaian infants and young children in the first 2 years of life. It also focuses on outlining the concept of using PPP and base-of-the-pyramid approaches toward achieving nutrition objectives.

Reaching vulnerable populations in low-resource settings with effective business solutions is critical, given the global nature of food and nutrition security. Over a third of deaths of children under 5 years of age are directly or indirectly caused by undernutrition. The Lancet series on malnutrition (2013) estimates that over 220,000 lives of children under 5 years of age can be saved through the implementation of an infant and young child feeding and care package. A unique project being undertaken in Ghana aims to bring in two elements of innovation in infant and young child feeding. The first involves a public-private partnership (PPP) to develop and test the efficacy and effectiveness of the delivery of a low-cost complementary food supplement in Ghana called KOKO Plus™. The second involves the testing of the concepts of social entrepreneurship and social business models in the distribution and delivery of the product. This paper shares information on the ongoing activities in the testing of concepts of PPPs, social business, social marketing, and demand creation using different delivery platforms to achieve optimal nutrition in Ghanaian infants and young children in the first 2 years of life. It also focuses on outlining the concept of using PPP and base-of-the-pyramid approaches toward achieving nutrition objectives.