THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF FOODS SERVED IN THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nutritional content of food served in the school feeding programme in basic schools in Ghana. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. A simple random sampling procedure was used to draw a sample of 4 schools out of 19 schools in Birim Central municipality. In all, there were 23 teachers, four head teachers and 15 cooks selected for the study. Questionnaire and chemical analysis processes were used to collect data for the study. The result of the study indicated that the nutritional content of food served to children under the SFP failed to meet at least 50% of the RDI based on 2400 kilocalories. Results showed that the nutritional content of meals served to pupils under the SFP did not meet 50% RDI for school lunches. However, caterers had a high level of nutritional knowledge and the majority of them had a positive attitude towards nutrition education. It was recommended that food commodities that have a high concentration of various nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat and oil, vitamins and minerals) should be used instead of using those that have low concentrations.  Article visualizations

Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Corn Dough From Selected Corn Wet Milling Plants in Mankessim

The chemical contaminants in corn dough systematically sampled from five corn wet milling plants were assessed using 3 experimental and 2 control groups. Samples were analyzed at regular intervals using QuEchERS, AAS, HPLC, gravimetric and cold maceration analytical methods. Hundred consumers and 5 wet mill operators were conveniently sampled and interviewed to obtain information on the milling process. The steps involved in preparing corn dough were observed to identify possible practices that introduced contaminants into the dough. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and results presented in frequency and percentage tables. Contaminants identified in the dough were grease, aflatoxins, lead, iron and zinc. T-test was used to determine any significant difference in chemical contaminants in corn dough sampled from selected corn wet milling plants. Significant differences (p≥0.05) existed between contaminants obtained from selected corn wet milling plants. Cleaning materials, old locally- made grinding plates, petroleumbased lubricants, unwashed bare hands for lubrication and dirty milling plants were found to be highly contaminated above acceptable Ghanaian and International standards. Introduced interventions along the production line greatly reduced contaminants in the corn wet milling plants. From the findings, it can be concluded that levels of certain metals and substances found in some corn dough samples suggest possible health risk when consumed. Strict hygiene measures could help reduce this risk