One Health interventions in improving food safety at pig slaughterhouses and traditional markets in Vietnam
Project overview
Participants
More related research
Global goals
- 1. No poverty
- 2. Zero hunger
- 3. Good health and well-being
- 12. Responsible consumption and production
Short summary
A project that aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of targeted interventions along the pork value chain to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases, applying a One Health approach.
Bakgrund
Pork is the most widely consumed meat in Vietnam, with 80% produced by small-scale farmers and sold through traditional markets. The pork value chain is highly fragmented, involving numerous actors such as input suppliers, producers, traders, slaughterhouses, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. Weak enforcement of food safety regulations has resulted in limited incentives for value chain actors to adopt best practices or expand operations. Previous studies in Vietnam have found high levels of microbial contamination in slaughterhouses and markets, largely due to non-compliance with regulations, limited food safety knowledge, and poor hygiene practices.
Aims
This project aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of targeted interventions along the pork value chain to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases, applying a One Health approach. The project examines various factors that affect food safety and proposes interventions that can strengthen safe production of pork. Building on an earlier project, potential measures include:
- Installing metal grids in small and medium-scale slaughterhouses to avoid floor slaughter
- Separating clean and dirty processing areas
- and encouraging peer-to-peer learning among informal butchers to promote improved practices.
The project explores incentives for sustainable behavioral change, such as peer influence, consumer demand, enhanced market opportunities, and targeted information campaigns.
The project is implemented in Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Thua Thien Hue, Can Tho, and Dong Nai provinces. Activities focus on improving hygiene practices and infrastructure in small-scale slaughterhouses, enhancing food safety knowledge and hygiene practices in traditional markets, and assessing consumer behaviour and responses to food safety interventions.
Collaborations
In addition to the participants at SLU, the project group also includes the following:
- Johanna Lindahl; Sveriges veterinärmedicinska anstalt
- Sinh Dang Xuan, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
- Hung NguyenViet, ILRI
- Fred Unger, ILRI
- Trang Le Thi Huyen, ILRI/SLU