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Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho

Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2009.

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Other Authors: McCrindle, Cheryl Myra Ethelwyn
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 McCrindle, Cheryl Myra Ethelwyn
author_browse McCrindle, Cheryl Myra Ethelwyn
author_facet McCrindle, Cheryl Myra Ethelwyn
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2009.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/22861
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:59.722Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/22861 Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho McCrindle, Cheryl Myra Ethelwyn seeiso.tabitha@yahoo.com Seeiso, Tabitha Masentle Informal slaughtering Lesotho Food poisoning Meat Animals Anthrax UCTD Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2009. Developing countries are faced with a high incidence of food poisoning outbreaks related to the consumption of meat, with obvious economic consequences. During informal slaughter of animals the threat of food poisoning or transfer of lethal zoonoses such as anthrax, is particularly intense. In 1972 the government legislated “The Abattoir Regulation - Legal Notice No. 27 of 1972”, which mandates slaughtering of animals and meat inspection and control (Government Gazette, 1972). Before that there was no official meat inspection done in the country. Since that time, the legislation has not been updated. The only abattoir was closed in 2003; the country thus has no formal abattoir. Meat is imported and also informally slaughtered and sold illegally. This study investigated the risk of food-poisoning and zoonoses related to the sale of meat slaughtered informally. It included the extent of the illegal and informal market. In Lesotho, informal slaughter for home consumption is legal but the meat may not be sold (Kingdom of Lesotho, 1972). The methods used in this study included investigation of the number and location of outlets for informally slaughtered meat in Lesotho. Samples of meat were taken both at informal markets and from imported meat sold at commercial supermarkets. Multistage random sampling was used where the first stage was the district and the second stage was the butcher shops. As a control, samples of legally slaughtered inspected meat were taken from a supermarket in South Africa. These samples were sent for bacteriological examination which included coliform counts and isolation of possible pathogens. It was found that 40 informal butcheries existed that were selling mainly illegal meat as well as imported legally slaughtered meat. In addition, the commercial supermarkets (n=4) were selling legally imported meat. Geographical coordinates were taken of the existing informal markets and the number of informal butcheries in those markets. This was recorded as a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) map. This map will be used by the veterinary public health and epidemiology sections of Lesotho to monitor informal sales in future, in order to improve the quality of meat sold to Lesotho citizens and prevent food-poisoning by meat products. Samples of meat from local informal butchers (n=100) that were submitted for bacteriological culture (n=100) showed that 63% had coliform counts that were unacceptably high and indicated poor meat hygiene. In comparison, imported meat obtained from animals slaughtered at registered abattoirs in South Africa and transported to supermarkets in Lesotho, had acceptable levels (Total plate count of > 5) It was thus concluded that there is an urgent need for improvement in slaughter and meat inspection methods in both rural and urban areas of Lesotho. The state (both central and local Government) has an important role to play in human and animal health and food safety in the country and strategies must be developed for this. These will include training of veterinary and extension staff as well as butchers, in both the formal and informal markets, on slaughtering procedures and sanitation. In addition, they should facilitate the construction and rehabilitation/upgrading of the existing slaughter slabs in both rural and urban areas of the country, focusing on the main towns not to affect the tourism industry. Lastly, an emphasis should be placed on review of the abattoir regulations, implementation of policies on slaughter procedures and products those that are fit for human consumption, as a way of preventing meat-borne zoonotic diseases, to reduce risks of infection to consumers and to protect meat handlers. Careless handling of waste such as offal, blood and effluent during slaughter can also result in zoonoses and environmental degradation and this should also be addressed. Copyright Paraclinical Sciences unrestricted 2013-09-06T13:50:59Z 2010-03-12 2013-09-06T13:50:59Z 2009-11-27 2010-03-12 2010-02-26 Dissertation Seeiso, TM 2009, Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho, MSc (Veterinary Science) dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/22861 > E10/31/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/22861 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02262010-165323/ © 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Informal slaughtering
Lesotho
Food poisoning
Meat
Animals
Anthrax
UCTD
Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title_full Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title_fullStr Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title_full_unstemmed Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title_short Bacteriological quality of meat in Lesotho
title_sort bacteriological quality of meat in lesotho
topic Informal slaughtering
Lesotho
Food poisoning
Meat
Animals
Anthrax
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/22861
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02262010-165323/