The Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Owusu Oduro has inaugurated two new ultra-modern laboratories at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science to promote teaching and research at the university.
The two laboratories; Sensory Evaluation and Microbiological Research laboratories are also expected to provide opportunity to food industry practitioners to improve on the quality of their products.
Inaugurating the facilities, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu urged food processors particularly those in the dairy industry to take advantage of the new facilities in order to build confidence in the industry as consumers barely trust locally produced foods.
This, he said will subsequently lead to building confidence in our food industry. One major problem he identified was food contamination and preservation which if managed or controlled will lead to food safety. He added that the new laboratories will help detect any contaminant in products before entering the market.
The Head of Nutrition and Food Science Department, Professor Emmanuel Afoakwa, on his part, said experts will always be available to offer technical advice and support to dairy and all other food processors and also educate them on the best standards to adopt.
The Grants Manager of the Skills Development Fund under the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), Mr. Dunwell Eku was elated to have seen the realization of the establishment of the two laboratories and congratulated the principal investigator and her team for a job well done.
The principal investigator Dr. (Mrs) Maame Yaakwaah Blay Adjei in her speech commended the project team for their support and pledged to make maximum use of the two laboratories; to promote teaching and research and to help revamp the foods and particularly the dairy industry in the country.
She also appreciated the project team members made up of Dr, Eric Timpong-Jones, Dr. Niilante Amissah, Dr. Angela Parry-Hanson Kunadu, Dr. Naalamle Amissah, Dr. Kofi Ajorlolo, Mrs. Mammie Hutchful Nortey and Mr. Ezekiel Acquaah.
The project was sponsored by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), the University of Ghana, World Bank and DANIDA.
