AN ASSESSMENT OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES AND SLAUGHTERING PROCEDURES IN NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the infrastructure and slaughtering procedures of slaughterhouses in the three Northern Regions of Ghana. Twenty slaughterhouses were visited to obtain data for this work. The facilities of the slaughterhouses were evaluated based on their presence and functional status. About 80.0% of the slaughterhouses were deficient in certain facilities and the few (20.0%) slaughterhouses with infrastructure were in dilapidated state. It was observed that, the state of the slaughterhouses were not good enough for the processing of animals for human consumption. The association between the size of the slaughterhouses and the number of animals slaughtered and processed for meat daily was statistically non-significant (P>0.05). Ninety five percent (95.0%) of the slaughterhouses had no functional pipe-borne water therefore butchers’ sourced water from head porters and other available water sources. Also, majority (90.0%) of the slaughterhouses were not provided with electricity. The absence of electricity and portable water supply coupled with the poor status and unhygienic conditions of these slaughterhouses raise serious public health concerns, as hygiene problem are not only limited to slaughtering but are also associated with incorrect processing. There were no functional lairages in majority (60.0%) of the slaughterhouses, as a result ante-mortem inspections were not carried out. Post-mortem inspections were carried out in seventeen slaughterhouses representing 85.0%. The slaughterhouses visited slaughtered fewer number of animals as compared with those in standard abattoirs. The method of restraint prior to slaughter was rude, as it involved physical struggle between animals and slaughterers. None of the slaughterhouses visited representing (0.0%) engaged in proper waste management systems. As such, waste was found littered all overthe surroundings of the slaughterhouses which comprises mostly of bones, hides and rumen content. It was observed that, 85.0% of workers in the slaughterhouses did not observed safety rules and regulations. For example, in the observation of safety rules and regulations, 45.0% of the slaughterhouses had its workers used aprons while 100% did not used safety gears like helmets, nose and mouth mask and goggles. Again, 40.0% of the slaughterhouses had its workers using safety boots while 5.0% had a fire extinguisher. None of the slaughterhouses representing 0.0% had its workers engaged in proper hand washing and disinfection. Also, none of the slaughterhouses representing (0.0%) had meat or cold vans during this study. Butchers resorted to the use of inappropriate means such as motor tricycles, motor bikes and bicycles to transport meat to meat shops. Generally, the infrastructure and slaughter operations were below standards in all the slaughterhouses visited.