Takoradi Technical University came second of the six that contested, followed by Ho, Tamale, Koforidua and Sunyani Technical universities. The event, which took place at the forecourt of the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana, forms part of the 70th Anniversary activities of COCOBOD.

It also precedes this year’s Cocoa Day slated for October 2, at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi.

Other activities include lecture and exhibition for all stakeholders in cocoa processing, manufacturing, financing and marketing. Members from the transportation confectionery, hospitality, education, pharmaceutical and agro-chemical have been urged to seize the opportunity to create new markets.

The contest brought together selected senior high schools (SHSs) including St Mary’s West Africa, and Accra Wesley Girls SHSs and students of the University of Ghana to showcase various cocoa recipes and inculcate the habit of consuming cocoa into school children.

Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, said the contest was to encourage local processing of the country’s cocoa and stimulate consumption among the citizenry.

He said under a new policy initiative, at least 50 per cent of cocoa produced in the country would be processed in an effort to address the issue of price stability, create jobs, accelerate industrialisation and create enabling opportunities for new businesses to thrive.

He commended the Department of Nutrition and Food Science for hosting the programme, saying; “Your acceptance demonstrates a sense of hospitality towards us in the cocoa fraternity”.

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ghana, in a speech read on his behalf, said the University was proud of the enormous support it had received from COCOBOD in the area of construction of buildings and provision of other services.

“Cocoa, as we all know, has numerous nutritional health benefits for healthier life and such contest will only drum home the need for Ghanaians to make cocoa part of their daily meals,” he said. The Vice-Chancellor said cocoa helped to check stress, hypertension, ageing and other cardiovascular diseases and must be consumed by all and sundry.