Meat safety practice and associated factors among butchery workers of Yeka Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 2023

Meat is animal flesh eaten as food that is safe for consumers when properly prepared and consumed. This study aimed to describe meat safety practice and identify associated factors among butchery workers. Cross-sectional study using stratified random sampling conducted on 293 proportionally allocated butchery workers at Yeka Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Butchery workers have a 50.2% rate of practicing meat safety. Males were 68% less likely to practice good meat safety (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.13–0.80). Those with only primary education were 85% less likely to practice good meat safety compared to those with education above the secondary level (AOR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.05–0.17). Workers serving fewer than 100 customers per day were 1.82 times more likely to practice good meat safety (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.06–3.13). Those with satisfactory meat safety knowledge were 2.19 times more likely to practice good meat safety (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.22–3.94). Workers who had frequent sanitary visits within three months were 2.74 times more likely to practice good meat safety (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.57–4.77). Compared to other studies, observed a relatively poor practice of meat safety. Frequent sanitary visits were associated with better practices among butchery workers, indicating the need for strengthened education supplemented by visits from the regulatory agency. Additionally, assigning a separate person to handle money in meat retail shops is essential to improve meat safety practices.