Hygiene Practices’ Knowledge of Sales Staff and Microbiological Quality Assessment of Frozen Meat in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Background: Meat is a vital source of nutrients essential for human health, but it can become a vector for diseases. System practices deficiencies, however, prevent consistent refrigeration safe storage in Ouagadougou. This situation can lead to hygiene lapses and microbiological contamination. Therefore, this study was performed to assess the current situation of frozen meats with the aim of encouraging a change in behavior in the event of lapses. Methods: Surveys were conducted at 10 sales sites to document hygiene practices, and samples were analyzed using microbiological standard methods. Results: Key findings revealed that 90% of samples exceeded the acceptable limit of 10⁶ CFU/g for total aerobic mesophilic flora, and 80% had thermotolerant coliforms above the permissible limit of 10³ CFU/g. Additionally, 90% of the samples were unsatisfactory for Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, with significant differences (P=0.002); however, 40% of the samples tested positive for Salmonella/Shigella. Finally, surveys highlighted inadequate hygiene practices, including uncontrolled freezer temperatures (90%) and poor personal hygiene among sales staff (90%). The presence of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus poses significant public health risks. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of meat by several pathogenic bacteria. Most people apply freezing to preserve meat but have poor knowledge of hygiene practices and do not control their freezer temperature during meat storage. This finding underscores the urgent need for strict hygiene training and regulatory oversight of preservation techniques to ensure the safety of frozen meat in Ouagadougou.

Mots-clés

Frozen meat, Microbial contamination, Hygiene practices, Food safety, Ouagadougou