Knowledge and Practices of Meat Safety by Meat Sellers in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana

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