A professor of Meat Science and Food Safety at the Nyankpala Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof. Frederick Adzitey, has strongly cautioned livestock farmers to desist from self-veterinary drugs administration.
He noted antibiotics resistance as a major threat to public health when drugs are administered without the advice of a qualified vert personnel.
Delivering an inaugural lecture on the topic ‘Sustainable Meat Safety in the 21st Century: Our Responsibility’, Prof. Adzitey urged government institutions to intensify awareness training and training on food hygiene.
“Personal and environmental hygiene is the key to preventing meat contamination and food poisoning; this should be observed by farmers, butchers, meat sellers and consumers.”
He recommended that the slaughtering and transportation of animals under unhygienic conditions must be checked.
“Enforcement of meat safety laws by the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority is strongly recommended.”
For his part, Vice Chancellor of UDS Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye urged the public to be conscious of the way they handle meat.
“Raw meat in Ghana are mostly contaminated before they get to the consumer and that’s due to the inadequate knowledge of meat safety.”
He stressed the need for more education and awareness-creation on the importance of meat hygiene.
Meat safety and security plays a critical role in ensuring wholesome consumption of meat and eradicating malnutrition.
The main purpose of meat inspection is to prevent and detect public health hazards such as food-borne pathogens or chemical contaminants in meat.
Meat inspection also plays an integral part in the overall monitoring system of certain animal diseases and the verification of compliance with animal welfare standards.
This is said to be an important control point for the early identification of problems that may impact on public health as well as on animal health and welfare.
To ensure that wholesome meat is passed to the public, Vertinary meat inspectors are expected to conduct some inspections on the meat.
Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
To achieve this, conscious efforts must be made by government institutions to enforce meat hygiene regulations and laws as well provide the needed incentives and facilities for meat safety in the country.
