Using Africa’s past to promote change toward safer alternatives for food packaging in Accra

Abstract

This study aimed at promoting attitude change among street vendors and their customers by exposing them to a communication intervention. The respondents were exposed to digitized images of ancient pottery and materials used to meet daily needs of food storage in Africa’s past, followed by a narration of how these materials were used in the past that could be used in the present day to package food. Respondents reflected on their experiences in the communication intervention and were engaged in a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews to tap their perceptions and intentions about safer alternative practices of food storage in the present times. To discourage the use of harmful food packaging products, respondents called for attitudinal changes among all actors and suggested that government interventions, prudent economic practices, and education about food packing practices should lead to the adoption of cultural packaging practices that are safe and enhances food quality, taste, and its palatability. Respondents further indicated that, innovative strategies aimed at transforming traditional packaging practices will add the modern touch and make traditional and cultural food packaging safer and acceptable. Thus, the use of earthenware, calabash, leaves, and pottery should be innovatively designed to be more portable and convenient for packaging food. Modern food packaging businesses should therefore explore the combination of knowledge and ideas from the past and the present to make food packaging safe and more environmentally friendly.