Meat Hygiene and Associated Health Hazards Awareness among Butchers and Meat Retailers in Jammu District of Jammu and Kashmir

Meat is a perishable commodity and therefore from production till consumption it needs to be innocuous. Many pathogenic micro-organisms grow in the meat if hygienic procedures are not followed. Meat acts as a vehicle for disease transmission mainly bacterial, protozoan and helminthic. Lack of appropriate hygienic slaughtering and meat handling techniques are causing unnecessary losses of meat as well as valuable by-products from animal carcasses Thus the awareness of good hygienic, sanitary practices and health hazards by personnel engaged in unorganized meat production will improve safety and suitability of meat which will lead to increased marketability and consumption, finally resulting into better socio-economic and health status of all personnel engaged either in animal rearing, trade or processing of meat. The present study was conducted in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir State to evaluate the meat hygiene and associated health hazard awareness among butchers and meat retailers in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir. Three Major slaughter houses of Jammu district situated at Nagrota, Old Rehari and Gujjar Nagar were selected for the study. A list of butchers in the selected slaughter houses was prepared. Ten butchers from each slaughter house were selected randomly. After preparing the comprehensive list of meat markets operating in Jammu district, three meat markets were selected, and from each selected meat market ten retail meat shops were randomly chosen. From each randomly selected retail meat shop, one person was selected purposively who was actively involved in animal slaughter and sale of meat at retail meat shop. Thus, a total of thirty butchers and thirty retailers were selected in all. Data was collected through interview schedule as well as through observations. The data was coded, classified, tabulated and analyzed using the software; Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS 16.0). The presentation of data was done to give pertinent, valid and reliable answer to the specific objectives. Frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation were worked out for meaningful interpretation. It was observed that contact with infected person and improper meat handling was considered as a major risk for transmission of diseases by most of meat handlers. Majority of meat handlers were aware of the public health significance of their business. Few had limited knowledge about cross contamination and presence of microorganisms in meat. Poor awareness was found regarding different zoonotic diseases (except bird flu), which can be transmitted through meat handling. Meat handlers avoided the meat handling work only when suffered major diseases. They were frequently wrong in judging the condition/diseases in which animals should not be slaughtered. The finding indicates that lapses exist between meat handlers’ decision and the scientifically correct decision and thus final decision about the fitness of carcass and offal’s must rest only with the veterinarian.