By: Roberta Gayode Modin
Momoni is a highly patronized fish in Ghana as it can be used in the preparation of many delicacies like okro soup, and kontonmire stew among others.
However, the nutritional value of fermented fish remains debatable, especially in Ghana.
According to research published by the International Food Research Journal, the nutritional value of protein in fermented fish ranges from about 18% to nearly 72% depending on the water content.
“We can conclude that as sanitary conditions of fermented fish production were generally found to be poor and processing methods were not standardized. The major issues of safety of fish as well as fermented fish products include microbiological and biochemistry changes (e.g., histamine poisoning, Salmonella and Clostridium poisoning, aflatoxin contamination)”, the research concludes.
Health practitioners are also of the view that fermented fish should be consumed in moderation or avoided if possible, as it poses a lot of health risks like kidney disease to humans.
Reacting to the health assertion about the consumption of momoni, some Ghanaians argued they do not care about the health benefit but the flavour it adds to their foods.
Related Story: ‘Momoni’ has no nutritional value- Dietician