Assessment of the Perception of Abattoir Environmental Hygiene and Sanitation Practices in Ubakala, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assesses hygiene and sanitation practices in abattoirs in order to maintain meat safety procedures. Hence, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the perceived environmental hygiene and sanitation practices of slaughterhouses in Ubakala, Abia State, Nigeria using appropriate standard procedures including 50 structured questionnaire. Results reveal that the majority of operators (85.0%) were men; 50.0% belonged to the 31-41 age group, while 80.0% were married. About 75.0% attended secondary school, and 40.0% average monthly income range from ₦201,000 and ₦300,000. Features of the slaughterhouse show that 95.0% of the time, more than seven cows were killed every day, and 80.0% of the time, the abattoir was located next to a river or stream. Hence, 60.0% of people burn their waste, 65.0% dispose of waste often, and 85.0% wash their soiled aprons once a week. Ninety percent reported a lack of infrastructure, while only five percent reported the use of pest control devices; a hundred and fifty percent reported veterinary doctor inspections, and sixty-five percent mentioned medical examination and care given to employees who handle meat and exhibit symptoms like diarrhea, coughing, or skin infections (95.0%). There are high levels of meat hygiene practices and low levels of bacterial contamination in beef. The study suggests increasing the inspection of meat sold to the public and training meat handlers in hygiene maintenance.