Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define food safety and quality practices.
• Identify key methods for processing, storing, and marketing food crops.
• Apply food safety practices in a practical scenario.
• Analyze the importance of cleanliness and responsibility in food production.

Lesson summary

This lesson focuses on a critical aspect of agriculture that affects every single one of us every day: food safety and quality. In Ghana, from the yam farmer in the Brong-Ahafo Region to the tomato seller at Makola Market, how we handle our food after it is harvested determines not only its price but also our health. Poor practices can lead to food spoilage, financial loss, and serious illnesses like cholera and typhoid. By understanding and applying proper safety and quality practices, we can reduce post-harvest losses, increase income for our farmers and traders, and ensure the food on our tables is wholesome and safe to eat.

Lesson notes

A. Food Safety vs. Food Quality

These two terms are often used together, but they mean different things. It's crucial to understand the distinction. Food Safety: This refers to practices that prevent food from causing harm or illness to the consumer. It is about protecting people from foodborne illnesses (food poisoning). Food safety is non-negotiable. If food is unsafe, it should not be eaten, regardless of how good it looks. Example: A beautiful, large tomato that has been sprayed with a banned pesticide right before harvest is unsafe. Eating it could cause serious health problems. Food Quality: This refers to the characteristics of a food product that are acceptable to consumers. This includes attributes like size, shape, colour, texture, flavour, and nutritional content. Food quality is often related to the price of the product. It is negotiable. Example: A small, slightly misshapen tomato that is free from chemicals and germs is perfectly safe to eat, but it might be considered low quality and sell for a lower price than a large, perfectly round one.

Key takeaway: You can have safe food of low quality, but you must never have unsafe food, no matter its quality. B. Types of Food Hazards

A food hazard is any substance or agent in food that has the potential to cause harm. They are classified into three categories. Biological Hazards: These are living organisms or their waste products that can cause illness. This is the most common cause of food poisoning in Ghana. Examples: Bacteria: *Salmonella* (from contaminated water or animal faeces), *E. coli*, *Vibrio cholerae* (causes cholera). Moulds (Fungi): Some moulds produce dangerous toxins. A critical example in Ghana is *Aspergillus flavus*, which grows on improperly dried maize and groundnuts and produces a toxin called Aflatoxin, a potent cause of liver cancer. Viruses: Hepatitis A, Norovirus. Parasites: Tapeworms. Chemical Hazards: These are harmful chemical substances that can contaminate food. Examples: Pesticide/Herbicide Residues: Using too much chemical or not observing the correct waiting period (pre-harvest interval) before harvesting. Cleaning Agents: Residues from soap, bleach, or detergents not properly rinsed from equipment. Heavy Metals: Lead or mercury from contaminated soil or water. Unapproved Food Additives: Using chemicals like carbide to ripen fruits artificially. Physical Hazards: These are foreign objects that can get into food, usually by accident. They can cause injury like choking or broken teeth. Examples: Stones, sand, or dirt in grains like rice or beans. Pieces of glass from a broken jar or bottle. Metal shavings from a faulty grinding machine (e.g., corn mill). Hair, fingernails, or pieces of jewellery from a food handler. Staples from packaging bags. C. Applying Safety and Quality Practices: The Journey of Cassava to Gari

Evaluation guide

• Apply food safety and quality practices in the processing, storage and
• marketing of selected food crops.
• Building on wh at others say: In pairs, learners brainstorm the meaning of safety
• and qualit y practices in crop production.