Cows are sometimes killed specifically for their skin and processed into leather. Products such as leather jackets, shoes, belts, wallets, among others, can be produced from cowhide.

However, in the Ghanaian society, a common delicacy eaten by people of all classes, irrespective of age and gender, is cowhide, popularly known as ‘wele’.

‘Wele’ goes through some processes before it is sent to the market to be purchased and consumed by individuals. One of the processes include; the use of worn-out and discarded car tyres to burn the hair from cowhide.

The question is, doesn’t this practice expose the cowhide to toxic chemicals? Also, do the butchers observe personal hygiene and food hygiene? Is the environment under which the cowhide is processed a place to write home about?

Yet, ‘wele’ is used in the preparation of a number of soups and stews at homes, schools, offices, restaurants, and a number of food joints.

A lot of people prefer their ‘waakye’ (Ghanaian dish made with rice, beans and millet leaves), with ‘wele’.

Considering the number of people who consume ‘wele’, one may wonder if they are aware of the conditions under which it is processed. Researchers have argued on the nutritional benefits of ‘wele’ intake. That is, ‘wele’ is argued to have little or no food nutrients.

The high demand for it for the preparation of meals could also have a negative impact on leather industries in the country.

Speaking to Madam Juliana Yeboah, head nutritionist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), she said that “cowhide consumption can be cancerous after prolonged intake due to the toxins emitted by the car tyres during its processing”.

She added that currently, there is no research to reveal the nutritional benefits of consuming cowhide.

Madam Yeboah observed that, “charcoal can be used to singe cowhide in order to limit or prevent the health related complications of eating them”.

In an interview with Mr. Owusu, a lecturer at the University of Health and Allied Science, Ho, he noted that, “in an effort to drastically reduce protein intake in patients with chronic kidney diseases, cowhide is put into their meals. This makes them feel like they are chewing meat”.

However, he stated that cowhide cannot be taken as a protein source since it is not nutritional.

He advised that such meals should be complemented with other rich sources of protein such as sea foods, milk, eggs, soya beans, et cetera.