Ghana’s largely unlabelled food trade is making it difficult for consumers to know what they are buying or who is responsible for it, while reports of adulterated and expired products increase the pressure for stronger branding and traceability.
In markets across the country, several traders may be selling the same produce from almost identical basins, sacks or trays. Tomatoes, gari and Fante kenkey can look indistinguishable, leaving price and volume as the main points of competition.
But without a name on the product, there is often no clear person or business to hold accountable.
That matters amid continuing concerns about food safety, including reports of dye being added to palm oil, chemicals sprayed on pepper and expired goods being repackaged for sale. The argument is that Ghanaian food should be given identifiable names and labels so customers can make safer choices and producers can build reputations.
Why branding could matter
Consumers already associate official markings with authenticity in other sectors. Alcohol products, for example, carry Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax stamps, giving buyers a way to recognise legitimate goods.
A similar approach for food could help producers distinguish themselves. A trader selling ordinary “gari” may struggle to charge more, while a named product such as “Mamaga’s Volta Gold Gari” could attract customers who know what to expect.
A recognisable brand could also help local food reach shops, schools and markets beyond Ghana. Customers may return because they trust a particular producer, rather than simply because that seller offered the lowest price on a given day.
Labelling would also improve accountability. A packet of ginger chips carrying a name and registration number can be traced to its producer. Food sold from an open bowl is much harder to track if something goes wrong.
For the wider economy, better-known local food products could create jobs, reduce waste and bring in more money. Kenyan tea and Ethiopian coffee have developed international identities through consistent branding and quality, and the same principle could apply to Ghanaian kenkey, gari, carrots and other produce.
The challenge for small producers
Applying a formal brand to a packaged product such as Coca-Cola is relatively straightforward. Fresh pepper, tomatoes and carrots present a more difficult problem because they spoil quickly and cannot always wait for elaborate packaging.
Many sellers also operate with limited funds. The cost of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) registration, labels and packaging can appear unaffordable. Current regulations are seen by some as being designed mainly for large factories rather than for a woman producing gari in her compound.
Consistency is another obstacle. A batch of kokonte may be soft one week and hard the next, making it difficult to establish the reliability customers expect from a brand.
Those difficulties have left many products competing mainly on low prices, with similar appearances and a vulnerability to imitation.
However, producers do not need to build a large factory before beginning. The first step is to make the product consistently, using the same method to deliver the same taste and texture each time.
Basic packaging could follow. Clean bags and a simple sticker could include the producer’s name, town, telephone number and production information such as a “Best before” date. That would signal that the seller is willing to be identified.
Producers could also present the origin of their food more clearly, using descriptions such as “Bawku Carrots”, “Central Region Gari” or “Pure Ginger, No Colour”. Photographs of farms and the people producing the food could help customers understand its source.
Small-scale registration through the FDA is another proposed step. The option is less expensive than full-scale industrial registration, and displaying the number on the product would provide evidence that the seller had taken steps towards compliance.
With customers increasingly worried about adulterated food, producers could make quality assurances central to their message, including claims such as “100% Pure. No Chemicals” where those claims are accurate.
Calls for a national food safety mark
The proposal also calls on the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and FDA to create a national system similar to the GRA’s tax stamps.
One suggestion is a “Ghana Food Safe Mark”, using a low-cost sticker and QR code. A scan could show who made the food, where it was produced and when. Under the proposed system, green would indicate that a product had been tested, while yellow would mean it was registered.
For the scheme to work for small producers, it would need to be affordable, simple and available at district level. Sellers from Bawku, for example, should not have to travel to Accra to access it.
Community processing centres are another proposal. Such facilities could allow producers to dry, seal and test gari, dough and ginger chips before leaving with properly packaged goods. Rwanda is cited as an example of a country where a similar model was used for coffee.
There are also calls to protect the names of Ghanaian foods through legislation. Terms including “Ga Kenkey”, “Bawku Onions” and “Volta Gari” could be given defined meaning, preventing other producers from copying them and damaging the reputation associated with the name.
Authorities are being urged to impose heavy penalties on those adding dye to oil or repackaging expired goods. At the same time, government schools and hospitals could buy from certified local brands, giving compliant producers a reliable market.
Public education would form another part of the approach. Advertising campaigns could encourage shoppers to ask: “Does it have a name? Does it have a number?” The aim would be to teach consumers that food without a label is difficult to trace.
Other countries have already used branding and traceability to strengthen their food sectors. Kenya has put QR codes on avocados, helping “Kenya Avocados” secure higher prices abroad. India has supported small spice producers with packaging and barcodes, enabling them to sell online. Rwanda developed local coffee under the name “Rwanda Bourbon”, increasing earnings for farmers.
The proposed path for Ghana is therefore based on consistent standards, certification, storytelling and enforcement. Sellers can begin by choosing one product, improving it, packaging it and putting their name on it. Regulators can support them with a Food Safe Mark, processing hubs and protection for local food names.
Consumers, meanwhile, are being encouraged to question products with no identifiable owner and to pay a little more where that represents greater safety. The central argument is that a named product can build loyalty, while trusted food can give Ghanaian producers a stronger future at home and abroad.
