UEW Students Champion Food Safety Awareness Through Innovative Community Initiatives
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) through the Department of Integrated Home Economics Education within the Faculty of Health, Allied Sciences and Home Economics Education (FHASHEE), commemorated World Food Safety Day with a student-led initiative.
The initiative aimed to promote safe food practices and address food safety challenges within local communities.
The programme, under the global theme “From Burden to Solutions: Food Safety Starts with Me,” showcased innovative interventions developed by Level 300 students to promote responsible food handling and enhance public awareness of food safety. It was held at the North Campus Mini-Conference Room on Friday, 19th June, 2026,
The event brought together faculty members, lecturers, students and guests to highlight the importance of food safety in protecting public health, enhancing food security and promoting sustainable development.
Prof. Fred Yao Gbagbo, the Dean of FHASHEE, who chaired the programme, commended the students and lecturers for using the occasion to translate academic knowledge into practical solutions for society.
He stressed that food safety is a shared responsibility that extends beyond food preparation to include every stage of the food chain, from production and storage to processing, consumption and preservation.
“Many people have become sick or even lost their lives due to ignorance or neglect of food safety practices. Food safety is therefore a significant public health concern that requires continuous education and advocacy,” Prof. Gbagbo stated.
Dr. Guy Eshun, the Head of the Department of Integrated Home Economics Education, explained that the celebration was part of the Department’s World Food Safety Week activities and provided students with an opportunity to engage with communities through practical interventions.
He noted that the 13 student groups developed projects focusing on sanitation, personal hygiene, contamination prevention, foodborne illnesses and safe food-handling practices. The projects, he added, were designed to address real-life food safety concerns while equipping students with problem-solving and community engagement skills.
Ms. Linda Cobbah, Course Lecturer, highlighted that the annual World Food Safety Day observance serves as a reminder that food safety is everyone’s responsibility. She explained that the student projects were developed as part of the course IHE 361: Recipe Development and Food Preservation where students identified unsafe food-related behaviours and designed interventions to address them.
“Food safety is not merely a classroom topic. It is a public health issue and a responsibility for every individual who consumes food,” she emphasised.
The student groups presented their interventions, shared outcomes from their community engagements and responded to questions from a panel of judges. The presentations were assessed on the quality of their solutions, the effectiveness of their interventions and their ability to demonstrate the practical application of knowledge.
The celebration reinforced UEW’s commitment to producing graduates who are academically prepared and capable of developing innovative, community-centred solutions to address societal challenges.
Through initiatives such as the World Food Safety Day programme, the University continues to promote health education, public awareness and sustainable development while empowering students to become agents of positive change.
