In the absence of the widespread distribution of modern cooking fuels in developing countries, efforts are being made to utilise biomass residues which abound in most of these countries. This is intended to replace portions of firewood and charcoal and thereby reduce the cutting down of forests for fuel purposes. Briquettes from agro-residues have therefore been promoted as a better replacement to firewood and charcoals for heating, cooking and other industrial applications in both urban and rural communities. This study sought to assess the physico-chemical properties of charcoal briquettes produced in Ghana and also establish demand for and willingness of potential users to substitute charcoal and firewood with a charcoal briquette. A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the briquettes. This was done prior to the distribution of the briquette to potential users to collaborate their views or otherwise on the handling and burning characteristics of the charcoal briquette. A survey was undertaken a week later using questionnaires to access the willingness of the potential users to use the briquettes. Sixty respondents were purposively selected from households and the hospitality industry for the survey. Results of the physico-chemical assessment of the briquettes were as follows: length (75 to 120 mm), moisture content (5.7% dry basis), density (1.1 g/cm3), ash content (2.6%), fixed carbon (20.7%), volatile matter (71%) and calorific value (4,820 kcal/kg). Responses from the survey indicated that the briquette is easy to ignite, has a long burning time and has good heat output. Respondents also observed that the briquettes did not give off sparks and had less smoke and ash content as compared to the regular charcoal they often used. Finally, 93% of the respondents indicated their willingness to use the briquettes if the price was comparable to charcoal.

Due to consistent cassava cultivation, small-scale processing centers rely heavily on the cassava grater. However, these machines face stagnation in innovation and design evolution, leading to inefficiencies, limited capacity, and inconsistent output. Adding to these challenges is the competitive global market, demanding a focus on design enhancements. This study employs a multi-faceted approach involving the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) to prioritize customer requirements, propose technically aligned solutions, and offer innovative design options for cassava graters. A total of 10 customer requirements (CR), 21 technical solutions (TS), and 63 innovative design options (IDO) were established and prioritized, aiming for easy adoption by fabricators, engineers, manufacturers, and artisans. Implementing these insights boosts cassava grater efficiency and productivity and significantly advances knowledge. This work presents a thorough scientific framework for product design, empowering local manufacturers to remain viable and relevant in the rapidly changing field of product enhancement.

Contamination of maize by aflatoxins is of major concern to governments and the international community because high degrees of aflatoxin in food render the food unsafe for human consumption. The disposal of such foods also constitutes an economic loss in food production. This paper reports the findings of a study conducted during the 2013 minor maize farming season in Ejura-Sekyeredumase Municipality in the Ashanti region, and in Agbobloshie market in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study was to investigate management practices employed at the market level and on farms by maize traders and smallholder farmers, respectively, and their impact on aflatoxin contamination. Purposive sampling was used to select 150 farmers from maize farming communities across 10 cluster zones based on geographical location of farms within the municipality. Maize traders were also selected from a market close to maize farms and a market close to consumers for the study. In all, 30 traders were randomly selected from each market. Maize samples were collected from both markets and selected farms to determine the presence and level of aflatoxins using the Vicam Aflatest immunoaffinity column method. The study revealed that, farmers and traders adopt practices that expose maize grains to aflatoxin contamination. These include: use of farmer-saved seed stock as planting material; delayed harvesting, heaping harvested maize cobs on the field; planting by broadcasting method, use of hand dipping and teeth cracking method to determine dryness of maize, use of wooden stalls with no proper ventilation for maize storage at market centres and temporal storage in the open using tarpaulin resulting in heat build-up and moisture re-absorption. Types of aflatoxin determined from sampled maize grains were G2, G1, B2 and B1. Grains from the farms showed below detection limit at 1 ppb of aflatoxins. However total values of 50.234, 70.102 and 30.943 ng/g were, respectively obtained from three composite samples taken from Ejura market. A similar occurrence was observed at Agbobloshie market, where higher levels of 677.480, 101.748 and 4831.942 ng/g were detected in composite samples analysed. All respondents had no knowledge of aflatoxin contamination and it causes. Moreover, 63% of traders from both markets believed that, consuming contaminated maize have no health implications for consumers as food products from maize are normally cooked before consumption. In conclusion, the study reveals that, practices of farmers and traders has direct effect on maize quality. It was noted that, aflatoxin contamination of maize is likely to increase from the farm through markets and ultimately compromise the health of consumers. Farmers and traders need to be encouraged to adopt best practices in maize production and marketing to ensure food safety of the final consumer. Education on aflatoxin and its health implications must also be given the necessary attention.

The conventional method of grain storage involving the use of polypropylene bags in conjunction with pesticides and hermetic bags are paramount in developing countries. However, there is limited information on grain quality and pesticide residue concentration of maize stored in such bags. This work determined grain quality and pesticide residue concentrations of maize stored in polypropylene and hermetic storage bags. Maize samples stored for a period of one year in polypropylene and hermetic bags were obtained from three major maize growing communities in the Ashanti region of Ghana and were analyzed for grain quality, aflatoxin content and pesticide residue concentration using standard methods. The amount of diseased, discolored, broken, insect-damaged, stained, germinated, shriveled, total defective, inorganic and organic matter of maize stored in hermetic bags was significantly lower than that of polypropylene. Levels of aflatoxin in maize stored in the polypropylene bags were significantly higher (13.9 ppb–20 ppb) than in maize stored in the hermetic bags (0.90 ppb–2.6 ppb). Out of 35 pesticides screened, only lambda-cyhalothrin was detected in polypropylene bags and deltamethrin in hermetic bags. The presence of these pesticide residues may be due to their long-lasting abilities. Levels of lambda-cyhalothrin residues were above the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg, but have no significant effect on health. Deltamethrin residue concentrations in hermetically stored maize samples were below the MRL. In conclusion, maize grains stored in hermetic bags have higher grain quality and lower aflatoxin and pesticide residue concentrations than polypropylene bags. Education and promotion on the utilization of hermetic bags should be a priority in storing and supplying safe maize grains to consumers.