Meat safety knowledge, practices, and bacterial contamination in abattoirs and retail meat shops in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Poor hygiene and low food safety awareness among meat handlers contribute to widespread meat-borne diseases in Ethiopia, yet studies on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) are limited. From June 2024 to March 2025, a cross-sectional study assessed meat handlers’ KAP toward meat safety and measured aerobic bacterial load in meat from Addis Ababa abattoirs and retail meat shops. Interviews were conducted with 294 randomly selected handlers, and 60 meat samples were analyzed in the lab. Data were analyzed using STATA 14.2 @ , with odds ratios to examine associations, and one-way ANOVA (after log transformation) to assess bacterial load. Most meat handlers had good knowledge (78.9%), a positive attitude (67.7%), and good practice (52.7%) toward meat safety. Respondents with 6–10 years of experience and those who had food safety training were about 15 and 6 times more likely to have good knowledge, respectively (p < 0.05). Meat safety training and health certification were associated with about 4- and 7-times higher odds of a positive attitude, respectively (p < 0.05). Similarly, respondents with over 10 years of experience were about 19 times more likely to have better practices than those with less than 5 years (p < 0.05). The mean total plate count was 3.47 log₁₀ CFU/g ± 0.48 (Colony-Forming Units per gram). Of the samples, 56.7% had aerobic bacterial growth: 18.3% satisfactory, 26.6% marginal, and 11.6% rejected. The presence of aerobic bacterial contamination in meat highlights the ongoing public health risk of food-borne illness. Expanding targeted training for meat handlers and enforcing health certification, along with stronger meat safety policies, are essential to minimize contamination and safeguard consumers. • Poor hygiene and limited food safety awareness among beef handlers contribute to meat-borne risks in Addis Ababa. • Training and > 10 years’ experience improved knowledge and practices. • Mean aerobic bacterial load was 3.47 log₁₀ CFU/g ± 0.48.