Knowledge, Attitude And Practices (KAP) Regarding Meat Safety And Sanitation Among Carcass Handlers Operating At The Yaoundé Slaughterhouse, Cameroon.
Volume 3 - Issue 9, September 2019 Edition
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Author(s)
Chelea Matchawe, Lucy M. Ndip, Anna Zuliani, Julie J.T. Tsafack, Bonglaisin J. Nsawir, Edi Piasentier, Ngoupayo Joseph
Keywords
Carcass handlers; KAP; Meat safety; Yaoundé slaughterhouse.
Abstract
Meat handlers like butchers constitute the main vehicles of microbial contamination of fresh meat and may also be asymptomatic carriers of food-borne pathogens. This study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude and practices concerning meat safety and sanitation among carcass handlers in Cameroon. Structured written questionnaire, interviews and observations were used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices on meat safety and sanitation among carcass handlers at the Yaoundé abattoir upon informed consent and ethical clearance by the Cameroon Bioethics Initiative (CAMBIN). Fifty-one out of 100 people working at the Yaoundé abattoir participated to the study. Though the mean scores for carcass handlers’ attitude and practice were averagely acceptable (54.69 and 53.12% respectively), that of knowledge was poor (49.02%). There was significant negative relationship between knowledge level and the education level but positive association between the carcass handlers’ attitude and knowledge levels (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between practice and knowledge and between practice and attitude (P > 0.05). Findings from this study reveal the importance for developing adequate intervention measures during carcass processing to minimise public health risks. In fact, the respondents’ scores indicated a need for formal training on meat safety and sanitation as well as the need to improve available facilities and routine practices. In addition, the frequent occurrence of gastro-enteritis among the personnel of the Yaoundé abattoir poses a strong and urgent appeal for foodborne disease surveillance and control at the abattoir level aimed at increasing food safety in the Cameroonian food chain.
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