By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Feb 14, GNA-The Volta Directorate of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has taken its National Chocolate Week celebrations to the Ho Central Market for clients at the venue to have a bite of a chocolate product.
The government has designated the Valentine Day activities as Chocolate Day and now a Week celebration to deepen participation and draw a direct link between the event and tourism as well as the health benefits of cocoa products.
The event has been christened as “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy and Grow Ghana.”
Ms Naana Pokua, Monitoring and Evaluation officer of the Authority disclosed to the Ghana News Agency that extending the national chocolate celebration to a week was to sustain the consumption of cocoa products with added health benefits.
She mentioned some benefits of chocolate and cocoa derivatives include decreased inflammation, improved heart and brain health, blood sugar and weight control and healthy teeth and skin.
She said Flavonols, a type of flavonoid found in dark chocolate, help to protect consumers from heart disease by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and preventing cell damage.
Ms Pokua added that cocoa powder contained polyphenols, antioxidants that help to improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
She said declaring a week to draw attention to the product needs collective acceptance and consumption across all menu tables especially in the Basic and Senior High Schools.
Madam Dzifa Semawor, a trader, said the price of the commodity makes it difficult to consume and appealed to duty-bearers to reduce the prices as a first step towards making the commodity a common feature on dining tables.
She called on the government to subsidise the high prices of cocoa products so that advocacies like the national chocolate week events would positively carry the people along.
Saint Valentine day originated as a Christian feast day honouring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world on February 14.
GNA