The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is taking action to improve the quality of meat sold in the Ugandan market. This decision comes in response to alarming revelations about the unhygienic conditions in which meat is prepared and sold across the country, discovered during a tour of butcher shops in various locations.
UNBS has mandated that all butchers in Uganda must acquire and adhere to the existing Uganda Standard, “US 736: 2019 Hygienic Requirements for Butcheries.
” They must also ensure that their premises meet the specified hygiene standards. This directive was issued during a hygiene standards sensitization meeting held at the UNBS headquarters in Bweyogerere, Kampala, where all butcher shop owners were in attendance.
Rehema Meeme, a Standards Officer at UNBS, emphasized that this move aligns with UNBS’s mission of promoting the use of standards to protect public health, safety, and the environment from dangerous and substandard products.
The primary goal of these measures is to guarantee the quality and safety of meat and its products to safeguard the health of Ugandan consumers.
Meeme noted several violations of standards, including the inappropriate location of butcher shops near other establishments and the absence of sanitary facilities.
She also mentioned longstanding concerns from the public, such as the use of pesticides and chemicals, the sale of expired beef, and uninspected meat.
She explained that comprehensive training for butchers and industry-related professionals would be conducted nationwide as part of the enforcement effort.
Awath Aburu, another Standards Officer at UNBS, outlined the requirements specified by the standards. She urged butcher shop owners to strictly adhere to the general standards, which include possessing occupation permits for their premises, obtaining a medical examination certificate, holding a valid trading license, and maintaining a first aid kit.
They are also expected to sell only hygienic meat and meat products, use appropriate insect traps or screens, and construct butcher shops with smooth and easy-to-clean food-grade surfaces of at least one meter in height. The standards emphasize separate areas for offals and other meat and the use of shatterproof or hardened translucent plastic panels one meter high.
Furthermore, butcher shop owners should use waterproof and washable materials for walls and floors, ensure well-lit and ventilated premises with vermin and fly-proof screens, and employ stainless steel equipment that is easy to clean and maintain.
In terms of personal hygiene, the standards require staff to be clean, bathe regularly before handling meat, wear complete and clean personal protective gear, and be medically fit to work with meat.
To protect consumers from potential germs and viruses, personnel responsible for handling cash should be designated, and meat handlers should regularly wash their hands, keeping all jewelry and personal items in changing rooms.
The standards also address operational aspects, such as displaying meat for sale on hooks inside the shops and separating meat from different animal species. They prohibit non-butcher staff, food, jewelry, and personal items in the meat handling area and prohibit the use of body perfume by handling staff.
Transportation of meat must occur in clean, fly-proof, cold, and closed vessels with non-absorbent surfaces. The vehicles used must be inspected and authorized by a competent authority.
Additional restrictions include the prohibition of live animals in the butchery, the use of unapproved insecticides, operation in areas without proper drainage and soak pits, and the location of butcheries near refuse dumps, stables, poultry houses, and roads.
To make these requirements more accessible, they have been translated into Luganda and Swahili.
Saaka Abdul Hafithu, one of the butchers, acknowledged the risk of disease transmission through money handling and expressed frustration about customers making false claims regarding weight.
Matovu Hamza, who operates from Kireka Butcher, admitted that hygiene standards were lacking in their operations and criticized health inspectors for not issuing certificates. He also raised concerns about high taxes imposed by authorities.