The Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) has added a highly nutritious but affordable pelagic fish to harness the nutritional level of food consumed by schoolchildren.

With 3.8 million children from 9,700 primary and Junior High Schools across the country under the GSFP programme, it will help ensure better nutrition for beneficiaries.

The GFSP has been vehemently criticized by the public for providing low-quality food to the children, which hampers their mental and physical growth.

The newly introduced fish product, also known as small fish, is made up of herrings, anchovies, and other vitamin-rich fish by-products.

Speaking at an event that took place on August 10, 2023, Fred Antwi Boadu, Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, reiterated that the addition of new fish products to the School Feeding Programme will aid in the cognitive development of the children.

“We understand that fish is an essential nutritional element in children’s brain health and cognitive development. Therefore, supporting the scientific study to introduce improved fish in school meals was a welcome initiative for us. Small fish hold incredible potential to meet the nutritional needs of children, and I am glad we have finally found a way to include them in our children’s diets.

“This partnership with the FAO, like several others in the past, is aimed at ensuring Ghanaians get safe and improved fish products, high in nutrition for consumption and attaining body requirements for growth,” B&FTonline.com quoted her as having said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, stated that the inclusion of small fish in the GSFP is a major step toward achieving a healthier population in the future.

“Fish is very rich in omega-3 acids, which are good for brain function. The good news here also is that small fish are the most abundant in our waters as a country, which therefore ensures the programme’s sustainability. We will ensure the use of good fish processing technologies to safeguard fish preservation and storage.

“The inclusion of small fish in the GSFP is a major step toward attaining a healthier population in the future. The nutrition of Ghanaians, especially children, is a shared responsibility, and instituting the GSFP is one of the ways to achieve that,” she said, according to B&FTonline.com.

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