Why Ghana ban turkey tail since 1999 but e still dey evriwia for street?

E be one of di most popular street foods for Ghana for many years.

You go find am for city centres, bus stations, markets and oda places but turkey tail dey banned for di kontri since 1999.

I sure say dis tori dey shock you abi?

Well, di Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) bin ban di import and sale of turkey tail wey be popular for Ghana as 'Chofi' or 'Tsofi'.

Dis be sake of di meat get extremely high fat.

According to di FDA (chofi or tsofi) get high health risks wey include obesity, high cholesterol, heart related and non-communicable diseases like heart attack.

But 27 years on, turkey tail still dey common for di streets and many pipo dey fry and sell am as dia business.

Afta dem buy am from suppliers and oda cold stores, vendors now go cut am into pieces, steam am wit seasoning and den use di oil from di steamed meat to fry am.

Dat be how dem dey carry am roam di streets for pipo to buy.

FDA explain why turkey tail still dey for market

Di Food and Drugs Authority begin education about di ban of turkey tail all ova again to remind di public about di cardiovascular diseases and oda health wahala wey dey happun.

But as dem post on top dia social media platform about di ban, many pipo now shock say somtin like dat dey di system.

"Wey kontri di FDA dey tok about say dem ban turkey tail, na Ghana?", Obiba Samuel ask.

Nana Akua Adomah tok BBC News Pidgin say, "I neva know say dem ban turkey tail, sake of e dey evriwia for di market, I dey buy am sef."

"In fact, di FDA neva be serious. How dem ban somtin for 1999 wey we still get am for di market evri day like day," Kwasi Doe ask.

Many pipo now begin to drag FDA wey dem even dey mention places wia dem dey fry di turkey tail for wholesale.

But di FDA say dem wan good and healthy food to enta di kontri for consumption, but once dem find say any food dey harmful to di public, dem dey flag am.

Deputy CEO for di FDA food division Roderick Daddey-Adjei say importers dey hide di meat inside dia consignment of frozen foods to deceive authorities for di ports.

"Many years ago, importers dey carry di fatty part of poultry togeda wit di oda parts like drumsticks, breast, wings etc to enta di kontri. Dem bin dey put dis 10grams of turkey tail packs inside di middle of di 40-ft containers wey citizens dey like am well well."

Oga Roderick Daddey-Adjei explain say "turkey tail be juicy, ibi nice sake of di fat content, dat be wen we decide to ban am to protect di health of di pipo".

According to di FDA, di Ghana Health Service and World Health Organization reports dey show say 43-45% of all deaths for Ghana be sake of non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases among odas.

"Dis education we dey begin dis time no dey even target turkey tail alone, oda foods wey also get plenti fats also dey among – we gatz protect di health and safety of citizens," Deputy CEO of di FDA food division Roderick Daddey-Adjei explain.

Di FDA say dem go improve inspection and vigilance for di ports to ensure say pipo wey dey import frozen foods, no dey hide turkey tail inside di consignment.

Dem also ask say make di public alert dem on di places wia dem dey deal for di turkey tail make dem send dia inspectors to dose places.

Ova di years officers from di FDA dey storm some of di locations to seize turkey tail, dem don also arrest some vendors for di past.

Health experts say pipo fit choose healthier alternatives

In fact places like Nsawam, Sogakofe and Akosombo dey popular as headquarters for turkey tail wia dem dey fry am in large quantities for di public and distribute to oda places.

Along busy roads, vendors dey sell am wit fried yam, kenkey, bread and odas dey chop am wit black pepper sauce.

Some vendors say na turkey tail dem bin sell for many years to raise dia children and cater for dia families.

Dem say dem no get any oda job if dem quit di sale of turkey tail.

"Na dis job I take pay school fees for my pickin dem for all dis years, evribodi dey enjoy dis meat, nurses, doctors, lawyers, school children, evribodi dey chop am, so make dem no collect our daily bread from our hand," one of di traders tok.

Anoda vendor say, "Why dem allow pork and beef wey dem dey ban turkey tail? We no go gree."

Dis traders get low-key suppliers wey dey give dem cartons of dis turkey tail to fry and sell.

Di FDA say dem go soon go afta some of dis wholesale suppliers.

Public health experts say to choose oda types of healthier meat go help citizens reduce dia risks.

Dem say turkey tail contain ova 15% fat wey be higher dan di daily recommended fat intake for any pesin.

Medical expert Dr Michael Baah Biney tok BBC News Pidgin say, "Pipo fit replace dis turkey tail wit vegetables, fruits or oda types of white meat like frog, duck, rabbit, lamb, among odas."

"For pipo wey get cholesterol problems either from dia family history or lifestyle choices, dem fit suffer more. In fact e fit lead to stroke, high cholesterol be major risk factor for strokes."

Dr Baah Biney add say pipo gatz to begin to "reduce dia cholesterol intake" for dia own good.