Assessing Nigerian Butchers’ Knowledge and Perception of Good Hygiene and Storage Practices: A Cattle Slaughterhouse Case Analysis

Abstract

In Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) guides the inspection and production of beef meat and prescribes the good practices pertinent to beef products’ handling, processing, and packaging. Specifically, good hygiene practice (GHP) assures beef product safety and consumer protection, whereas good storage practice (GSP) assures the continuity of hygiene activities within the storage stages. Relevant literature about butchers’ knowledge and perception of good hygiene and storage practices within Nigeria slaughterhouses remains scant. This current study, therefore, assessed butchers’ knowledge and perception of good hygiene and storage practices through a cattle slaughterhouse case analysis. The selected cattle slaughterhouse serves the increasingly thriving Nsukka beef market in Enugu State, Nigeria. Content validation was utilised to authenticate the questionnaire items, which were administered face-to-face to the respondents (i.e., the butchers). The questionnaire included a total of 30 questions. The results showed that the butchers were male (Freq. = 100%, n = 50), acquired their knowledge informally (Freq. = 88%, n = 44), were largely with more than 5 years of slaughterhouse experience (Freq. = 82%, n = 41), and were strongly (p < 0.0001) familiar with good hygiene (Freq. = 96%, n = 48) and storage (Freq. = 98%, n = 49) practices. The butchers provided examples that demonstrated knowledge and perception aspects of GHP and GSP. The perception aspects of GHP and GSP were correlated more, compared to knowledge and knowledge versus perception. Very conscious of their knowledge and perception of good hygiene and storage practices, the butchers herein have to strive for continuous improvement in their slaughterhouse activities to assure beef quality and consumer safety.

Understanding the Relevance of Quality Management in Agro-food Product Industry: From Ethical Considerations to Assuring Food Hygiene Quality Safety Standards and Its Associated Processes

“…To determine food hygiene level of different food establishments, examine managers' opinion, and justify food hygiene importance via consumers' perception of food safety/hygiene practices at three European cities Okpala, Nwobi, and Korzeniowska [112] GHP (with GSP) Meat industry in Nsukka, Enugu State of Nigeria…”

“…[166] GHP alone or combined with GCP, GSP, HACCP, etc. investigated food handlers, [108,110,114,115] specifics like meat handlers, [105,107,112] different food (service) establishments, [111] like retail (meat) shops, [109] food truck, [103] food vendors, [106] urban street food sellers [113] and foodservice facilities [104] with variable outcomes . Ifeadike et al [110] assessed the food hygiene practice of food handlers in the FCT Nigeria, and found that majority washed their hands after using the toilets and underwent regular medical checkups, with much less (food handlers) either using disinfectants and sanitizers or checked the food temperature with a thermometer at the workplace.…”

“…Okpala, Nwobi and Korzeniowska [112] assessed the butchers' knowledge and perception of GHP and good storage practices (GSP) using a cattle slaughterhouse case analysis. Their findings revealed that butchers were male, with more than 5 years of slaughterhouse experience, and strongly familiar with GHP and GSP.…”

“…Additionally, GAP will involve the cattle rearers, whereas GHP and GSP will involve the slaughterhouse activities. The interaction of GAP, GHP, GSP demonstrates the importance and relevance of these practices to the typical (Nigeria) cattle slaughterhouse, [112] and that is why it is deemed the compulsory (hygiene/safety-related) aspects of QM. Besides, the personnel that operate within the food storage section must have the Figure 4.…”

Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

“…Globally, achieving high-level beef/meat quality from any given cattle slaughterhouse requires that optimum levels of good practices must be upheld. Regardless of location, cattle pre-slaughter and slaughter operations remain very critical to meat quality and food security [1][2][3]. There are pre-and post-slaughter conditions/factors in slaughterhouses that influence meat quality and food security.…”