As Christmas is lingering around the corner and precisely today(25^th December), what could this festive season mean without food? From the rice to the soups, to the barbecues and hotdogs, not forgetting the ice creams and drinks. Varieties of foods would heavily be consumed on this day. So the theme of the month “Food and the environment” plays a very key role here. Could food and the environment be related and does each other affect the other? Well, the answer is yes. Our actions towards the environment could have adverse effect on the food we consume.

It was astonishing to come across food pollution during this research. Food pollution is generally defined as the presence in food or associated with food of toxic chemicals (elements or compounds) and/or biological contaminants which are not naturally present in food or are above their natural background levels (for those chemicals which are naturally found in some foods). Some of the causes of food pollution is listed below;

1.      growing of food (e.g. crops, fruits, vegetables) in polluted soils, solid wastes (e.g. mine tailings) or areas with polluted groundwater;

2.      irrigation of grown food (e.g. vegetables, fruits, crops) with polluted water;

3.      growing of food (e.g. crops, fruits, vegetables) in areas with polluted air;

4.      agricultural treatments with pesticides, insecticides, and/or herbicides;

5.      agricultural application of sewage sludge and/or polluted fertilizers (which contain ash from power plants);

6.      consumption of polluted water and/or food by fish or other animals;

7.      food processing, packaging, and handling;

8.      propagation and concentration of pollutants through the food chain.

We may just have to be careful with what we consume considering the causes that have been stated above. That notwithstanding, I present Banku with Grinded Pepper and Grilled Tilapia. A local food that is enjoyed across the length and breadth of my country Ghana. It is made from corn dough and cassava dough. They are mixed together and cooked on fire. The pepper is grinded together with other essential ingredients then the tilapia is also grilled and served hot! It is a very nice and simple delicacy to come by here in Ghana. If you want to try some international dishes this festive season, I may just have given you one. Hit a nearby international restaurant and enjoy some balls of banku with pepper and grilled tilapia.

Green Cheers from Ghana

Merry Christmas to All!