ASSESSING THE ROLE OF MEAT INSPECTION AND SAFETY TRAINING IN ENHANCING HYGIENE MEAT HANDLING AMONG BUTCHERS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

This study examined meat hygiene practices, safety knowledge, and inspection effectiveness among butchers in the study areas, Nigeria. The research aimed to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of butchers, evaluate their level of hygiene practices, determine the effectiveness of meat inspection and safety training programs, and analyze factors influencing the adoption of hygienic handling practices. A descriptive survey design was employed, using structured questionnaires administered to 300 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis, ANOVA, and LSD post-hoc tests. Results revealed that most butchers were males (94%), aged between 20–30 years (56.67%), and possessed moderate education; mainly Diploma/NCE holders (40.67%). Hygiene knowledge was generally high, as 68% of respondents recognized that improper handling predisposes consumers to health hazards, with mean knowledge scores ranging from 4.70 to 5.26. However, actual adherence to hygienic practices was inconsistent. Findings from behavioral assessment indicated that butchers rarely used gloves (mean = 2.60), facemasks (mean = 2.52), or hairnets (mean = 2.41) during meat processing, and 35.67% admitted never wearing facemasks. Conversely, 42% always washed hands after sneezing or coughing (mean = 5.95) and 46.33% always discarded meat showing signs of zoonotic diseases (mean = 5.94). These figures highlight selective compliance, where awareness does not always translate into consistent hygienic behavior. Regression analysis further showed that cooperative membership (p = 0.010), access to information booklets (p = 0.006), Internet use (p = 0.000), and NGO engagement significantly influenced hygienic practices, while education level, experience, and gender were not statistically significant. The adjusted R² value of 0.466 indicated that the model explained approximately 47% of the variance in hygiene behavior. The study concluded that although butchers demonstrate substantial knowledge of meat safety, weak regulatory enforcement, infrastructural deficiencies, and irregular inspections undermine consistent hygiene practice. It was recommended that government agencies strengthen inspection mechanisms, improve abattoir infrastructure, promote cooperative-based education, and implement continuous hygiene training programs to enhance meat safety and public health protection in the study area. Keywords: Meat hygiene, butchers, contamination, inspection, hygiene behavior.