A Food Scientist at the University of Ghana’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Dr Joycelyn Quansah, says microwaving food is safe, but households must ensure meals are heated thoroughly, as food can appear hot on the outside while remaining cold inside, allowing harmful microorganisms to survive.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, August 21, as part of Joy Sustainability Month discussions on “Food Waste: How We Are Throwing Away Millions,” Dr Quansah said the safety of microwaved food depended on the type and quantity of food as well as how long it was heated.

“It's safe to microwave food, but it depends on the type of food and how long you microwave the food,” she said.

She explained that many people put a plate of food in a microwave and expect it to be ready within a few minutes, but the heat may not spread evenly through the meal.

“The outer part of the food will be ready, but the internal temperature may not be ready,” she said.

Dr Quansah warned that if the centre of the food remained cool, any harmful microorganisms present could survive.

“It means that if there should be any microorganisms in the internal part of the food, should you consume it, you can fall ill,” she said.

She therefore urged consumers to ensure that the entire meal, including the inside, is properly heated before eating.

“Before you eat, you must make sure that the internal part of the food is hot,” she said.

“That is when it gives you the assurance that the food has been properly heated and it is okay for consumption.”

Dr Quansah also cautioned consumers about using aluminium foil to prepare foods such as catfish, citing concerns about substances potentially transferring from the foil into food during cooking.

“There are concerns that there are chemicals that could be transferred from the foil into the fish,” she said.

She said that some of the substances of concern could not readily be tested for in Ghana, although the issue was receiving attention in other parts of the world.

“Some of them we can't test for in Ghana. But in Europe, in the other Western world, it's coming up as things that we should start to be worried about,” she said.

“As such, if you could minimise its use, it would be helpful for us,” she added.

Dr Quansah also encouraged households to make greater use of traditional food preservation methods to reduce waste, particularly where refrigeration is unavailable or expensive.

She said drying was one of the simplest methods and had been used in Ghana for generations.

“The easiest one that comes to mind is drying. This is a preservation method that has been used by our forefathers and is still being used by us,” she said.

She explained that fruits such as mangoes and bananas, as well as vegetables including pepper, tomatoes and garden eggs, could be dried and stored for later use.

“Once the moisture is reduced, microbial action could be minimised, and the food can stay way longer,” she said.

Dr Quansah added that modern equipment such as dehydrators, ovens and air fryers could make the drying process more effective.

She also recommended smoking and salting for fish and meat, while cautioning that excess salt should be reduced before consumption.

Fermentation, she said, was another traditional method that could extend the shelf life of foods such as corn and cassava.

“We do fermentation. So like our corn, our cassava that we use as corn dough, because they are fermented, they pretty much are able to stay longer on the shelf than if they were not fermented,” she said.