الفهرس 
SLAUGHTERHOUSESOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Meat and meat products are potential vehicles of hazards to human health. Types of hazards that may be present in meat products include chemicals (causing acute or long-term toxicity) and biological agents (pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and abnormal prions causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies), as well as physical objects (may cause injury). Biological hazards are of most concern.
Their occurrence in meat and meat products is unavoidable because contaminants are present in and on the animals and in their environment. The quality and safety of meat and meat products are best maintained by an integrated preventive approach throughout all segments of the meat sector, including producers, processors, distributors, retailers, food service, as well as consumers.
Pathogen control efforts should include: good production practices on the farm, slaughtering of animals that are disease free, processing of carcasses under sanitary and hygienic conditions, use of decontamination intervention strategies to reduce microbial levels on carcasses and fresh meat, thermal processing, drying, fermentation, acidification, use of antimicrobials, maintenance of the cold chain during distribution, and proper storage and preparation by food service and consumers.
This study aims at assessing the level of compliance with the international code of hygienic practices, as well as, to investigate barriers facing application of food safety management systems in Egyptian red meat slaughterhouses.
The study was conducted at five red meat slaughterhouses; the four red meat slaughterhouses of Alexandria governorate and the main abattoir in El-Beheira governorate, which including: ”B”, ”A”, ”D”, ”E” and ”C” abattoirs. It took a period over than one year starting from March 2014 to May 2015. This period was preceded by one month pilot study to choose the most appropriate, statistically valid and user friendly data recording from computer entry.
All of the slaughterhouse facilities (e.g. animals loading, quarantine, ante-mortem inspection facility, slaughter hall and amenities, condemnation room and incinerators) were involved in the study, as well as, all of the working veterinarians in each slaughterhouse (e.g. inspectors and managers), (a total of 26 veterinarians). Also governmental veterinarians working in the meat inspection services were approached to participate in the study (a total of 9 veterinarians). A cross-sectional study design was selected in this study. During inspection procedures for slaughterhouses facilities and for animals from its arrival to the abattoir and through ante-mortem and post-mortem veterinary inspection until meat transport, a predesigned checklist was filled with the required data.
Results of this study revealed that:
I) Concerning compliance level of slaughterhouses with the international code of hygienic practices:
• The highest compliance percentage was 60% which achieved by ”A” slaughterhouse and the lowest compliance percentage was 37.8% which achieved by ”E” slaughterhouse.
II) Concerning knowledge of veterinarians about Food Safety Management Systems:
• With regard to veterinarians working in slaughterhouses
- None (0.00%) of the sample had had good knowledge, only 8.00% had had fair knowledge and the majority of veterinarians working in slaughterhouses had had poor knowledge 92.00%.
- The average level of knowledge of veterinarians working in slaughterhouses was 1.92 (27.4%) which is considered poor knowledge.
- The highest knowledge percentage was 71.4% and the lowest knowledge percentage was 0.00%.
- 96% of veterinarians working in slaughterhouses were exaggerating in estimating the level of their knowledge.
• With regard to governmental veterinarians working in the meat inspection services
- The majority of governmental veterinarians (55.56%) had had good knowledge, only 11.11% had had fair knowledge and 33.33% had had poor knowledge.
- The average level of knowledge of governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services was 5.2 (74.5%) which is considered fair knowledge.
- The highest knowledge percentage was 100% which was repeated and the lowest knowledge percentage was 42.9%.
- 44.44% of governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services were exaggerating in estimating the level of their knowledge.
III) concerning perception of veterinarians toward Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS)
• With regard to veterinarians working in slaughterhouses
- 24% of veterinarians working in slaughterhouses had had negative perception and an equal proportion (24%) had had positive perception and 52% had had indifferent perception.
- The average level of perception was 20.6 (68.7) which were considered indifferent perception.
- The minimum perception level score was 13 (43.3%) and the maximum perception level score was 27 (90%).
• With regard to governmental veterinarians working in the meat inspection services
- None (0%) of governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services had had negative perception, 22.22% had had indifferent perception and the majority of governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services (77.78%) had had positive perception.
- The average level of perception was 24.8 (82.6%) which were considered positive perception.
- The minimum perception level score was 19 (63.3%) and the maximum perception level score was 28 (93.3%).
IV) Concerning assessment of veterinarians self-efficacy
• With regard to veterinarians working in slaughterhouses
- 24% of veterinarians working in slaughterhouses had low self-efficacy and 20% had high self-efficacy and the majority (56%) had neutral self-efficacy.
- The average self-efficacy percentage was 7.1 (59%) which is considered neutral self-efficacy.
- The minimum self-efficacy score was 4 (33.3%) and the maximum self-efficacy score was 12 (100%)
• With regard to governmental veterinarians working in the meat inspection services
- None (0%) of governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services had low self-efficacy and 33.33% had neutral self-efficacy and the majority (66.67%) had high self-efficacy.
- The average self-efficacy percentage was 8.6 (71.6%) which is considered neutral self-efficacy.
- The minimum self-efficacy score was 6 (50%) and the maximum self-efficacy score was 11 (91.7%).
V) Concerning barriers facing implementation of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) in meat slaughterhouses
• With regard to veterinarians working in slaughterhouses
The minimum mean score was 2.40 which achieved by factor number 7 (Uncertain about potential benefits of implementing FSMS), the maximum mean score was 3.92 which achieved by factor number 3 (Need a lot of changes in current operating system) and factor number 5 (Require a lot of effort to develop the infrastructure and the construction of slaughterhouses) in parallel, so these last two factors considered to be the key barriers identified by veterinarians working in slaughterhouses.
• With regard to governmental veterinarians working in the meat inspection services
The minimum mean score was 1.89 which achieved by factor number 2 (current food safety controls considered sufficient) and factor number 11 (did not really see FSMS suitable for establishment like slaughterhouses), the maximum mean score was 4.44 which achieved by factor number 3 (Need a lot of changes in current operating system) and factor number 5 (Require a lot of effort to develop the infrastructure and the construction of slaughterhouses) in parallel, so these last two factors considered to be the key barriers identified by both veterinarians working in slaughterhouses and governmental veterinarians working in meat inspection services.
from the results of this study, the following can be recommended:
1) Number of veterinarians allocated for meat inspection in each slaughter slab and abattoir should be increased.
2) The regulations relating to ante and post mortem inspection and specified risk materials removal should be closely monitored and strictly enforced.
3) The provision of private cars in the slaughterhouse to transport meat equipped with refrigerators.
4) Providing slaughterhouses with knife disinfection devices.
5) Providing large quantities of an approved type (e.g. chain-mail stainless steel, synthetic fabric, latex) gloves.
6) The development of slaughterhouses in accordance with the standard specifications for abattoirs to prevail automated slaughter process (including automatic skinning and removed stomach, intestines and all the internal organs automatically) to prevent cross contamination and reduce the hazards to the maximum extent possible.