AAK West Africa has trained representatives of 22 Ghanaian chocolate and confectionery companies in practical production techniques aimed at improving product quality and increasing value addition in Ghana’s food manufacturing sector.

The two-day training programme, held from October 7 to 8, 2026, at FairAfric Ghana Limited in Amanase-Suhum, focused on chocolate processing, product development and quality control.

The second AAK Innovation Academy covere d chocolate and compound processing, tempering, tablet production, fillings and pralines, coatings, sensory evaluation, crystallisation, bloom, texture and heat stability.

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Participants worked directly with materials and production processes to understand how ingredients, formulations and processing methods affect the quality and performance of finished products.

The programme was led by AAK chocolate and confectionery specialists Anders Dahl Pedersen and Jan Bus Lombardi, who each have more than 25 years of industry experience. The two specialists travelled from Denmark to Ghana to deliver the training.

The academy builds on an inaugural edition held in June 2026. While the first programme focused mainly on industry knowledge, trends and opportunities, the second edition placed greater emphasis on practical application.

According to AAK, developing technical skills among local manufacturers is important to improving production standards and helping businesses create products that can compete in domestic and international markets.

The initiative forms part of four commitments made by AAK under a Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).

It also comes amid efforts to increase the value Ghana derives from its cocoa resources by expanding local processing and producing higher-value goods.

Although Ghana is a major cocoa producer, improving the technical capacity of local manufacturers could help strengthen the country’s chocolate and confectionery industry.

The academy seeks to address this by equipping industry professionals with practical knowledge to improve product formulation, texture, stability and overall quality.

The programme also highlights the connection between Ghana’s cocoa and shea value chains and the wider food manufacturing sector.

AAK operates Kolo Nafaso, a shea sourcing programme that works with 275,000 women shea collectors across West Africa. The company is also involved in Ghana’s shea sector, including the development of a shea processing facility.

AAK said collaboration between government and industry would be important in supporting investment, local processing and the development of sustainable cocoa and shea value chains.

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