Evaluating a group based intervention for improving meat safety in a Nigerian wet-market

Developing countries have rules and regulations for assuring food safety; yet food-borne disease remains amajor cause of sickness and death. Approaches based on collective action and capacity strengthening couldcomplement traditional inspection and enforcement. We evaluated a participatory training intervention toimprove food safety among meat processors and retailers (butchers) in Bodija Market, Ibadan, Nigeria.Butchers are traditionally self-organised into groups. An interactive training workshop was held forgroup representatives who were selected to pass on information and training to their group. Meat hygieneknowledge, attitude and practice was assessed before attending the workshop and afterwards (n=63). It wasalso assessed for those who did not attend the workshop (n=68) but were intended recipients of trainingthrough their group. Microbiological quality of meat was assessed before and after the workshop (n=400samples). After the workshop, participants significantly improved knowledge, attitude and practice in keyfood safety aspects; specifically, understanding sources of contamination and food-borne diseases, useof bleach and disinfectant and hand-washing. Participants also shared information with an average of 18other group members and improvements were seen in group members who did not attend the workshopbut received training through their group. Microbiological quality of meat sold also significantly improvedafter the intervention. The intervention cost $8.82 per butcher reached and was estimated to reduce riskof diarrhoea (costing patients $4.46 on average) by at least 5%. In conclusion, participatory, group-basedmethods targeted at meat processors and retailers can improve meat hygiene knowledge, attitude and practiceas well as the microbiological quality and hence safety of meat.