Present Working Conditions in Slaughterhouses and Meat Selling Centres and Food Safety of Workers in Two Districts of Bangladesh
2020
Alam, Mohammad Khurshed | Keiko, Yoshino | Hossain, Mohammad Mujaffar
The present study is aimed at (a) assessing the current overall conditions in slaughterhouses and meat selling centres and (b) evaluating food safety knowledge of workers of slaughterhouses and meat selling centres in two districts of Bangladesh. A questionnaire relating to facilities and hygienic conditions in the slaughterhouses and meat selling centres was administered to the foreperson at each site. A total of 116 workers from 20 selected slaughterhouses were interviewed through another structural questionnaire to evaluate their food safety conditions and hygiene practices. Among the twenty slaughterhouses and meat selling centres surveyed, 55% had roofs, 40% had toilets and 35% had handwashing facilities. Ten (10%) of slaughterhouses slaughtered sick animals. About 20% of the workers had health certificates, 15% of workers wore protective coats and only 10% of workers wore rubber boots. Only 70% of workers were knowledgeable about zoonotic diseases. Knowledge about food safety was poor among workers. The present working conditions in the study areas are not sufficient in the context of food safety. Improvement of facilities and hygiene practices is needed for worker safety and to reduce the possibility of meat contamination. Training should be given to workers of slaughterhouses and meat selling centres to improve food safety knowledge and increase awareness of risks.
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