The Economic status, hygienic practices and challenges for improvement of Small Scale

Poultry Slaughterhouses

to meet Standard Poultry Slaughterhouse Regulation

in Northern Thailand

Suwit Chotinun, Kannika Na Lampang, Fred Unger,

Manat Suwan, Suvichai Rojanastien

Ecosystem Approaches to the Better Management of Zoonotic Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Southeast Asia Region (EcoZD)

project

EcoHealth Conference, Kunming China 2012

“Kitchen of the world”&

Outbreak of food-borne diseases

Food safety is priority

Improper management of slaughterhouses might cause

food borne disease

Require hygienic management

study

Complexity of socio-economic, veterinary sciences, public health, environment and

political perspective

Focus on Integrative and

EcoHealth concept

2

Rationales and concepts

The objectives of the study

1. To determine possible association between economic status and hygienic practices

2. To evaluate the opportunities for improvement to meet the existing standard regulation for small scale poultry in northern Thailand

Materials and methods

Thailand Study area and samples• The study was taken in

Chiang Mai province, Thailand

• 46 from 80 slaughterhouses were included to the study

Data collection

Data on the existing law/regulation and its implementation were collected from the Department of Livestock Development authorities

Data on economics and management were collected from slaughterhouse owners• Cost of production

• Productivity

• Investment

• Monthly expenses

Methods used in this study

Questionnaire Observation Salmonella ident.

Interview Focus group diss.

Guideline for improvement Standard of operation (SOP)

Veterinary Sciences factors

Public health factors

Socio-economics factors

Environment factors

The law/regulation factors

Action

Hygienic practices and management

The results

Results- demographic data of SH ownerCharacteristic Frequency Percent

Gender male 21 45.7 female 25 54.3

Age

21-29 2 4.3 30-39 10 21.7 40-49 9 19.6 50-59 20 43.5 =>60 5 10.9

Education No education 1 2.2 primary 32 69.6 secondary 10 21.7 Diploma 2 4.3 Bachelor 1 2.2

Results- duration of operation

Duration for operation (years) Frequency Percent 1-5 14 30.4

6-10 8 17.4

11-15 12 26.1

16-20 6 13.0

>25 6 13.0

Total 46 100.0

The results- monthly income from slaughterhouse

Total income (USD) Frequency Percent

Up to 600 17 37.0

601-1,200 9 19.6

1,201-1,800 11 23.9

1,801-2,400 2 4.3

2,401-3,000 2 4.3

>3,000 5 10.9

Total 46 100

The results-income, expense & debt

FactorsN

Total(USD)

Average of total income 46 1,654.2

Average income from slaughterhouse 46 1,200.5

Average of monthly expense 46 800.0

Average debt 31 287.0

Hygienic management on SH

Class Percentage

Good 0.0

Fair 6.5

Poor 93.5

Perception of slaughterhouse owner on their income(2011 and 2012)

Perception on income Year2011 2012

Good 15.9 18.2General 59.1 27.3Bad 25.0 54.5Total 200.0 100.0

Reason for income change

Reason for income change Frequency Percent Meat price change (Increase) 15 71.4Live chicken price change (Increase) 14 66.7Sell volume change (Decrease) 20 95.2Competition with supermarket (Decrease sell volume) 3 14.3Wage change (Increase) 2 9.5Investment 2 9.5

FGD with - DLD authorities (provincial & district)

• All slaughterhouses must apply Standard certification within 2012

• Current regulation is impracticable for small scale slaughterhouses

• All small slaughterhouses in our study do not currently meet the standard regulation

• The affection of the DLD regulation on slaughterhouses

35% (28/80) had to stop running business compared with the

last 2 years , mainly because the owners could not follow the

DLD regulation and/or low profitability

17

Interview with slaughterhouse owners

Interview with slaughterhouse owners

Most of slaughterhouse owners (80.4%) would like to improve their plants to meet the regulation

However, all of them not able to improve their plants to follow the regulation

The main challenges are:• Impractical criteria of regulation (90%)

• Not enough budget for investment (70%)

• 70% of owners indicated that they have to stop running business if the authorities strictly apply the current regulation

• They also indicated that they need more practical criteria for improvement of SH

Guideline for improvement Standard of operation (SOP)

Veterinary Sciences• Salmonella-contaminated

products• No veterinary services

Public health• Unsafely food products

Socio-economics• Limited carrier opportunity• Low productivity• Low profitability

Environment• Improper waste

management• Salmonella

contamination in environment

The law/regulation• Impractical criteria for

small scale

Identified major Criteria for improvement

1. Do not slaughter on the floor2. Separate the clean zone and the dirty zone3. Clean the slaughterhouse every workday4. Waste management 5. Protective equipment 6. Storage meats properly

Before study

Currently (after 1st intervention)

Policy advocacy

Success factors

• Our study is integrated in other research projects

– E. g. “development of Pradu-Hangdum native chicken raising for food safety”

• Economics incentives for change

– New market modern trade

– New product safety products

(access to supermarkets increased due to improved hygiene)

• Adapted more feasible law and regulation

• Sustainability

Challenges and next step

Challenge

• Motivation for change Incentives

• Long term development and evaluation

• How to sustain the development

• How to disseminate the results for wide impact

Next steps

• Evaluation of adapted guideline feasibility

• Long term monitoring sustainability

• Disseminate the results wide impact

• Follow up research

Conclusion

• The current hygienic practices of the small scale poultry slaughterhouses are poor

• Those slaughterhouses need to improve to address the current poultry standard regulation

• However, the current regulation is not suitable for small scale slaughterhouses

• More feasible regulation for small scale poultry slaughterhouse have been developed and applied in selected SH, first results are promising

• However, further research is needed before final conclusions can be given

Acknowledgement

• International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), Canada

• International Livestock Research Development (ILRI)• Thailand Research Fund (TRF)• Slaughterhouses owners • Department of Livestock Development, Thailand• Department of Animal Health, Vietnam

EcoZD Project

For more information about the EcoZD project, please visit:

www.ilri.org/ecozd

www.ilriasia.wordpress.com/tag/ecozd