The status of food safety management systems in Ghana

Abstract

In Ghana, there is not enough scientific information about the implementation of food safety management systems (FSMS). This study therefore aimed at getting insight into the current status of FSMS in Ghanaian food processing companies. This was a descriptive case study conducted in Tema. A questionnaire was administered to 70 companies which were randomly selected for the survey with a response rate of 65.7%. SPSS 17.1 was used to analyze the results obtained and STATA 12 used to determine the linkages between having a food safety management system in place and variables including market focus. The results indicated that more than 54% of the companies did not adhere to any quality assurance guideline. (56.5%) of the companies were not certified to any standards and 85% of the respondents cited cost as the main challenge in implementing a food safety management system. More than 40% of the companies had not been inspected by food regulation authorities since they were established. It has been recommended that Management of food processing companies must play an active role in adopting and implementing some form of food safety management system to guarantee a consistent production of safe products for consumers