Assessment of infrastructures, operational facilities and food safety practices in municipal abattoirs in central Ethiopia

Abstract Suboptimal infrastructures, inadequate facilities, poor hygienic practices in carcass processing represent significant challenges to meat safety and public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess infrastructures, operational facilities, and hygienic meat handling and food safety practices at 30 municipal abattoirs selected from the central part of Ethiopia. Data were collected through semi-structured checklists, questionnaires and direct observations. The study showed that 83.3% of the municipal abattoirs are in unacceptable proximity to residential areas. About 63.3% exhibited pest harborage, breeding places, or signs of pest activity. Furthermore, significant defects were noted in municipal abattoirs, with 60% of the walls in poor condition and inadequate floor sloping (53.3%) toward the drains. Hot water sources, quality control laboratories, and equipment sterilizers were lacking in all surveyed municipal abattoirs. Other operational facilities such as stunning pens and chilling rooms were missing in 96.7% of municipal abattoirs while, isolation pens for disease suspected animals were absent in 63.3% of municipal abattoirs. On the other hand personal hygiene facilities were similarly insufficient or failed to meet acceptable standards in many surveyed municipal abattoirs. For instance, designated and well-designed hand-washing stations (76.7%), showers (60%), and restrooms (53.3%) were absent. Additionally, the provision of sufficient cleaning and disinfection chemicals (83.3%) and personal protective equipment (76.7%) were also lacking. In 70% of municipal abattoirs, pest control, wildlife and stray dog control, and deep freezers were lacking. Skin and bone storage rooms were lacking in 60% of the municipal abattoirs. In about two-third of the municipal abattoirs, separate room for skinning, evisceration, and viscera cleaning were lacking. In terms of hygiene and food safety practices, none of the municipal abattoirs implemented equipment sterilization between uses, and employed refrigerated transport for carcasses. The issue related to hygiene and food safety continue to be compromised as most municipal abattoirs (83.3%); workers and utensils were not restricted to designated working areas and water quality testing was not practiced. About three-fourths of the municipal abattoirs did not process carcasses in a vertical position, and the majority (83.3%) demonstrated inadequate enforcement of personal protective equipment use and lacked separate green offal, viscera and red meat transportation. The study results highlight critical gaps in the adequacy of operational facilities and poor compliance with food safety standards and hygiene practices in the surveyed municipal abattoirs. Taking these into considerations, the finding offer policymakers practical evidence to guide regulatory improvements, resource allocation, and capacity building efforts to improve municipal abattoirs.