Fish Farmers Attempt To Beat EU Standard

With FAO’s improved method

By Benson Afful

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has introduced an innovative oven for the smoking of fish that reduces the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAH in smoked fish to 0.3ppm/ kg, a standard that makes it beats the European Union (EU) market standard of 2ppm/ kg.

The improved method (smoker) known, as the Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT), is made locally and does not use the usual firewood that produces a lot of smoke during fish processing is also environmentally friendly.

Samuel Armah Mensah, a graduate of the University of Ghana Political Science Department, and, a beneficiary of the FAO’s FTT, told B&FT switching from the traditional smoker ‘Chorkor’ have saved money.

He said the ‘Chorkor’ Smoker and the metal drum kiln, although offered economic gains, contained high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) due to the use of firewood as smoking fuel. The FTT has made it possible for him to now export to the EU market without any hindrance; a move he said has made him financially stable since he completed his university education.

“I apply for the FTT by the FAO and given the opportunity; so I decided to go into fish processing.”

— Samuel Armah Mensah

Born and live in Elmina in the Central Region, Samuel said he finished university and was jobless, and as a person born in a typical fishing community, his only option was to venture into the fishery sector.

The FTT came as an innovation opportunity and many trusts in his process. And, earned him buyers in Ghana and the European Union. Using the FTT to smoke his fish makes the outcome very acceptable by the EU market. FTT beats EU standard by, given 0.3 ppm /kg amount of PAH in smoked fish, which is less than the EU standard.

Omar Penarubia, an official from the FAO, in an interview with the B&FT, said the FTT was developed as a result of the constant rejection of smoked fish from the African countries by the EU market. Several countries from Africa suffered rejection from the EU market. So this raised awareness that proper method should be used to reduce the PAH in smoked fish.