Assessment of abattoirs operations and hygiene practices in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

A survey was conducted to appraise the location, infrastructures, and slaughter operational activities in three abattoirs at Rumuokoro, Trans-Amadi and Rumuosi in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Thirty butchers of 10 per abattoir were purposively sampled for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and mean statistics Results of the socio-demographic characteristics of the butchers revealed that they were all males, married, within the age of 35 - 44years, literate, with a butchering experience of 16 years upwards in private or public/Government owned abattoirs. The slaughter houses were located in areas devoid of bad odours, smoke, dust and close to coastal areas affected by tides to promote good sanitation. There were no adequately constructed lairages, Ante-mortem inspection and isolation pens were inadequate. There were no facilities and rooms for handling hides and skins, treatment of inedible and condemned carcass and meat. Animals were poorly restrained and not stunned before slaughtering. The slaughter houses had planned and controlled cleaning programs but lacked efficient disinfection operations and this will contribute to bacterial contamination of carcasses. The operational lapses by butchers were due to the use of obsolete facilities that lacked maintenance and inadequate supervision. This condition had brought about poor hygienic practices that undermine the quality of carcasses. The recommendations proffered are: the provision and maintenance facilities for effective operations to ensure carcass quality, to adequately enforce enacted laws on abattoir operations, there should be enlightenment for butchers and meat sellers, and there should be effective management of the wastes from slaughterhouses through regular fumigations and disposal systems.