Abstract:
Even though food becomes a key source of nutrients to humans nonetheless, its consumption
when adulterated can lead to varied forms of diseases and infections. Generally, a highly
nutritious meal can become unwholesome when its preparation, transportation and selling
becomes adulterated. This study assessed the knowledge and perception of customers on food
adulteration within the Kumasi Metropolis. The specific objectives were; to assess consumer
level of awareness on food adulteration, to assess consumer level of knowledge and awareness
on the health effect of food adulteration, to identify the commonest forms of food
adulterations and their related adulterants among consumer and finally to identify the factors
that predict consumers level of awareness towards food adulteration. The study population
constituted consumers who purchased their foods from local and continental restaurants, food
vendor, food from corner food shops and chop bars facilities within the Kumasi Metropolis.
The study employed a cross-sectional design hence, distributed a total of 245 questionnaires
to the selected participants within the Kumasi Metropolis. The study used the Statistical
Package for Social Scientists to compute the descriptive and inferential analysis on the field
data. Findings from the study suggest that the respondents’ knowledge and awareness on food
adulteration were above average with most of the respondents having a fair knowledge with
regards to how food adulteration occurred, the adulterants used to adulterate certain kinds of
foods and the foods that are often susceptible to food adulteration. Also, findings from the
study suggest that the respondents had fair knowledge about the health implication associated
with the consumption of adulterated food. Again, among all the factors that improved a
consumer level of awareness on food adulteration the availability of information (i.e. making
food adulteration information readily available to the public) had the most significant impact
on consumer level of awareness towards food adulteration. On this point, it is recommended
to the Public Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to have designated centres at the
various local communities that can make information readily available to local indigenes on
the dangers of food adulteration since its accessibility can improved the consumers awareness
on food adulteration.
Description:
Thesis Submitted to the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Education, Faculty
of Vocational Education, Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, in Partial
Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of
Philosophy (Catering and Hospitality) in the University of Education, Winneba