By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Health advocates have renewed warnings over the use of styrofoam takeaway containers for hot foods, cautioning that the practice poses serious health risks to consumers.
Speaking in an interview on the GTV Breakfast show today, October 27, 2026, Deputy Director of Environmental Education at the Environmental Protection Agency explained that styrofoam, commonly used for packaging food across Ghana, is a petroleum-based product and reacts dangerously when it comes into contact with hot and oily foods.
According to him, the chemical reaction that occurs when hot food is placed in styrofoam packs is simple but hazardous, yet many Ghanaians remain unaware of the implications.
“The chemical reaction that takes place is very, very simple. And you have to know about that. We are always trying to educate the general public also. Some of them are not aware,” he stated.
He said there is an urgent need for intensified public education to inform consumers about the dangers associated with styrofoam packaging, especially as it has become the default container for most cooked foods sold on the streets and in restaurants.
He stressed that spending money to treat preventable health conditions linked to poor food packaging choices defeats the purpose of working to earn a living.
“We cannot spend money on our health,” he warned.
Health experts have long cautioned that styrofoam contains styrene, a chemical which can leach into food when heated, especially with hot, oily or acidic foods. Prolonged exposure to styrene has been linked to effects on the nervous system, hormonal disruption, and potential cancer risks, according to multiple food safety studies.
The EPA is therefore urging the public to consider safer alternatives such as paper packs, glass containers, stainless steel bowls or food-grade plastic containers for carrying hot foods, and calling on regulators to enforce safer food packaging standards in the country.
