Analysis of Food Safety Management Systems in the Beef Meat Processing and Distribution Chain in Uganda

• Published in: Foods Vol. 10; no. 10; p. 2244
• Main Authors: Jeffer, Siya Balaam, Kassem, Issmat I., Kharroubi, Samer A., Abebe, Gumataw Kifle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 22.09.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Abattoirs; Animals; Beef; beef supply chain; Cattle; Competitiveness; Data collection; Epidemics; Exports; Food packaging; Food safety; food safety management; Food science; Food security; GDP; Global marketing; Gross Domestic Product; Handlers; Hazard analysis critical control point; Hazard assessment; Hygiene; Management systems; Meat; meat hygiene practices; Meat production; Packaging; Public health; Questionnaires; Safety; Safety management; Sanitation; Supermarkets; Supply chains; Systems design; Training; Uganda; Uganda; South Sudan; Kampala Uganda; Sudan
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods10102244

Meat production is an essential component in food security and the economy in Uganda. However, food safety concerns pose a challenge to public health in Uganda and impede access to regional and global markets. Here, food safety management (FSM) practices in the Ugandan beef supply chain were evaluated. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in major slaughterhouses (n = 3), butcher shops (n = 184), and supermarkets (n = 25) in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The three slaughterhouses had low scores in core control and assurance activities of FSM. Packaging interventions were weak in all the slaughterhouses, while only one slaughterhouse had a functional cooling facility. Supermarkets implemented better hygienic and preventative practices in comparison to butcher shops. However, both sourced from slaughterhouses that had low-to-poor hygiene practices, which weakened the efforts implemented in the supermarkets. Furthermore, most butcher shops did not offer training to meat handlers on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)-based practices. The low food safety performance in the supply chain was primarily attributed to poor sanitation, hygiene, and handling practices. Therefore, HACCP-based training and robust preventive, intervention, and monitoring systems are needed in the Ugandan beef supply chain to benefit public health and increase competitiveness.