Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020 - 40

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
Food Protection Trends, Vol 40, No. 1, p. 40-47
Copyright© 2020, International Association for Food Protection
6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864

Frederick Adzitey1,2*
Kassim Wachiebine Sulleyman2
and Peter Kwabena Kum1
University for Development Studies, Dept. of
Veterinary Science, Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana
2
University for Development Studies, Dept. of
Animal Science, Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana
1

Knowledge and Practices of Meat Safety by
Meat Sellers in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana
ABSTRACT
This study assessed the knowledge and practices of
meat safety by meat sellers in the Tamale Metropolis,
Ghana. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to
obtain data from 100 randomly selected meat sellers on
their knowledge about the hazards and safety practices
of meat handling. All the respondents were male, with
the majority (83%) aged 18-45 years. Most (60%) of
the respondents had no formal education, while almost
all (95%) had more than five years of experience selling
meat. The majority (67%) of respondents were aware
that eating and drinking while selling meat increases
the risk of meat contamination. Also, most (95%) of the
respondents were aware that wearing gloves at work
was important. Almost all (99%) knew that contaminated
meat could cause illness. In addition, the majority (94%)
of the meat sellers used soap and water to wash their
equipment. None of the meat sellers sterilized their
knives or other equipment, while 58% of them did not
wear aprons while working. All leftover meat was stored
in a refrigerator. The findings of the study suggest the
*Author for correspondence: Phone: +233249995310; Email: adzitey@yahoo.co.uk

40

Food Protection Trends January/February

need for training meat sellers on safe meat handling and
regulating the industry as a whole.

INTRODUCTION
Foodborne illnesses remain a significant component of
human disease (24), and the consumption of contaminated
meat plays a major role in this. Food safety continues to
be a critical issue among professionals in the food service
sector as well as consumers (2, 20). However, diseases
spread through food are common and persistent problems
that result in appreciable morbidity and occasionally death
(29, 34). The World Health Organization (WHO) reported
that 18% of children aged below 5 years old in developing
countries die due to diarrhea globally (15). The World
Health Organization has also estimated that globally 600
million people are affected annually by foodborne diseases,
with 420, 000 deaths as a result (37). Food safety is a matter
of great concern and of public health importance, particularly
when the environment in which the food is handled is heavily
contaminated (30). Fresh foods, especially those of animal
origin such as beef, are highly vulnerable to contamination
http://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/jan-feb-20-adzitey.pdf
Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020
