STREET FOOD IN URBAN GHANA A desktop review and analysis of findings and recommendations from existing literature STREET FOOD IN URBAN GHANA A desktop review and analysis of findings and recommendations from existing literature Edited by Stefano Marras Mohamed AgBendech Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Accra, 2016 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. 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FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected] Cover photo: Women selling food in the street. Accra, Ghana. (©FAO/ Christiana Asantewah) Back cover photo: Fruit stall. Accra, Ghana. (©FAO/Stefano Marras) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This material is based upon work supported by the Fondazione della Banca del Monte di Lombardia under the grant "Progetto Professionalita Ivano Becchi" awarded to Stefano Marras (www.fbml.it) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ……..…………………………………………………………………….. 1 METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………………………………… 2 A) FINDINGS FROM LITERATURE ……………………………………………………… 4 1. Street food vendors’ profile …………………………………………………………….. 4 1.1 Gender and age ..…………………………………………………………………. 4 1.2 Education ………………………………………………………………………….. 6 1.3 Family status ………………………………………………………………………. 6 2. Enterprises’ characteristics ………..……………………………………………………. 6 2.1 Start-up funding sources ……...………………………………………………….. 6 2.2 Length of service ………………………………………………………………….. 7 2.3 Working hours …………………………………………………………………….. 7 2.4 Employment ……………………………………………………………………….. 7 2.5 Revenues …...……………………………………………………………………… 7 2.6 Licensing ………………..…………………………………………………………. 9 2.7 Associations ……………………………………………………………………….. 9 3. Consumers and consumption practices ………………………………………………. 9 3.1 Consumers’ socio-economic profile …………………………………………….. 10 3.2 Frequency of consumption ………………………………………………………. 11 3.3 Expenditure on street food ………………………………………………………. 12 3.4 Reasons for consumption ……………………………………………………….. 13 4. Street food and nutrition ……………………………………………………………….. 13 4.1 Food and beverages on sale ……………………………………………………. 14 4.2 Commonly consumed foods and beverages …………………………………… 14 4.3 Nutritional intake and quality …………………………………………………….. 15 5. Street food hygiene and safety conditions …………………………………………… 23 5.1 Contamination levels ………………………………………………..................... 23 5.2 Contamination carriers and risk factors ………………………………………… 25 a. Contaminated inputs …………………………………………………………… 26 b. SFVs’ hygiene and safety knowledge and definitions ...…………………… 27 iv c. SFVs’ hygiene and safety practices ………………………………................. 29 d. Environment cleanness and food protection …………………….................. 31 e. Food storage ……………………………………………………………………. 32 f. Cooking utensils …………………………………………………...................... 33 5.3 From risk to disease ………………………………………………………………. 34 6. Public policies ......……………………………………………………………………….. 35 6.1 Urban planning and street vending regulations …………………..……………. 35 6.2 Licensing procedures ….………………………………………………………….. 36 6.3 Employment Laws ……………….………………………………………………… 37 6.4 Income tax Law ..………………………………………………………………….. 37 6.5 Food control systems …………………………………………………………….. 38 a. Food Law and regulation ………………………………………………………. 38 b. Food control management …………………………………………………….. 39 c. Inspections service …………………………………………………………….. 41 d. Laboratory services …………………………………………………………….. 42 e. Information, education, communication and training ……………………….. 42 6.6 National Food Policy Plan ………………………………………………………… 44 6.7 Infrastructural interventions ………………………………………………………. 44 B) RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LITERATURE ………………………………………. 46 7. Laws and regulations development and enforcement ……………………………….. 46 7.1 Licensing regulations ………………………………………………………………. 46 7.2 Food hygiene and safety regulations ……………………………………………. 46 7.3 Inspections and enforcement ……………………………………………………. 47 8. Institutional development ……………………………………………………………….. 47 8.1 Institutional harmonization ……………………………………………………….. 48 8.2 Institution capacity building ……………………………………………………….. 48 8.3 Provision of resources ……..……………………………………………………… 48 8.4 Strategic partnerships …………………………………………………………….. 48 9. Vendor capacity development ………………………………………………………….. 48 9.1 Training ……………………………………………………………………………… 48 9.2 Social marketing ……………………………………………………………………. 49 9.3 Financial incentives and support …………………………………………………. 49 v 9.4 Tenure security ……………..……………………………………………………… 50 9.5 Associations and unions role …………………………………………………….. 50 9.6 Cultural change ……………………………………………………………………. 50 10. Reduction of food contamination and poisoning risks ……………………………… 50 10.1 Inputs control …………………………………………………………………….. 50 10.2 Food washing ……………………………………………………………………. 51 10.3 Food handling and preparation ………………………………………………… 51 10.4 Food protection ………………………………………………………………….. 51 10.5 Personal hygiene ………………………………………………………………… 51 10.6 Food consumption ………………………………………………………………. 51 11. Vending sites and infrastructural development …………………………………….. 51 11.1 Urban planning …………………………………………………………………… 51 11.2 Structures and infrastructures ………………………………………………….. 51 11.3 Basic amenities provision ………………………………………………………. 52 12. Improvement and promotion of nutrition quality ………..…………………………… 52 13. Consumer awareness raising and participation ……………………………………. 52 13.1 Hand washing ……………………………………………………………………. 53 13.2 Knowledge of risks related to specific foods …………………………………. 53 13.3 New costs / benefits perspective ………………………………………………. 53 13.4 Consumers as monitoring vectors ……………………………………………… 53 13.5 Participation in policy design ……………………………………………………. 53 14. Further research ……………………………………………………………………….. 53 14.1 Epidemiological studies …………………………………………………………. 53 14.2 Public policy studies ……………………………………………………………… 54 14.3 Social and communication studies …………………………………………….. 54 14.4 Economics and labor studies …………………………………………………… 54 15. Incorporation and implementation of recommendations ……………………………. 55 SUMMARY ………………………………………………………………………………….. 57 Findings from literature ………………………………………………............................... 57 1. Street food vendors’ profile and enterprises’ characteristics …………………… 57 2. Consumers and consumption ……………………………………………………… 58 3. Street food and nutrition ……………………………………………………………. 58 vi 4. Street food hygiene and safety conditions ……………………………………….. 59 5. Public policies ……………………………………………...................................... 61 Recommendations from literature ………………………………………………………… 63 6. Laws and regulations development and enforcement …………………………… 63 7. Institutional development …………………………………………………………… 63 8. Vendor capacity development ……………………………………………………… 64 9. Reduction of food contamination and poisoning risks ………………………….. 64 10. Vending sites and infrastructural development ……..…………………………. 64 11. Improvement and promotion of nutrition quality ……………………………….. 65 12. Consumer awareness raising and participation ……………………………….. 65 13. Further research …………………………………………………………………… 65 CONCLUSIONS …………………………………………………………………………….. 67 REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………… 69 List of graphs and figures Graph 1. Scholarly articles / projects reports / proceedings from workshops and conferences about street food in Ghana ………………………………… 3 Graph 2. FAO studies, reports, guidelines, TCPs about street food in Africa ….. 3 Table 1. List of street foods commonly sold in Ghana ……………………………. 17 Box 1. List of national laws aiming to ensure the safety of the foods …………. 39 Box 2. Key by-laws relating to the enforcement of food safety at municipal level in Accra ………………………………………………………………… 39 Box 3. Main institutions involved in the food management system in Ghana, and their current roles and responsibilities ………………………………. 40 vii 1 INTRODUCTION On the other side, the increased commuting distances and the faster living and working pace have accentuated the Street food is any ready to eat food or demand for ready-to-eat, inexpensive, beverage sold and sometimes prepared quick and nutritious food near the in outdoor public spaces (e.g. streets, workplace among the growing urban low squares, parks, open-air markets, etc.) by and middle working class. Given all the vendors or cooks, either itinerant or