Assessing the Awareness of Food Safety Laws and Regulations among Consumers in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess the level of awareness of food safety laws and regulations among consumers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. The objectives of the study were to; find out the level of consumers awareness regarding food safety laws and regulations, find out how best consumers understand the laws governing food safety, identify the sources of education and information available to consumers on food safety laws and regulations and to find out how best consumers can improve on the quality of food consumed to reduce food borne related diseases. The study employed non-experimental and descriptive survey design. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used for the study. A total of 100 questionnaires were personally administered to respondents by the researcher. A quantitative analysis was used to analyze the data with the aid of Microsoft Excel and Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS 22.0). The study found out that, majority of the respondents were aware and also appreciated the existence of food safety laws and regulations. The media, family members, friends etc. play a major role in educating respondents on the various food safety laws and regulations. The study therefore recommends that, massive education should be provided to enlighten consumers on the hazards associated with food consumption most often.

Keywords: Consumer awareness, food safety, food borne related diseases and laws governing food safety.