Research Article

Meat Handling and Consumption Practices in the Assin South and Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region of Ghana

Moses Teye1*, Joshua Amoni1, Awal Fuseini2

1Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; 2University of Huddersfield Business School, Huddersfield, UK.

Received | August 22, 2024; Accepted | October 09, 2024; Published | December 18, 2024

*Correspondence | Moses Teye, Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Email: [email protected]

Citation | Teye M, Amoni J, Fuseini A (2025). Meat handling and consumption practices in the assin south and cape coast metropolis of the central region of Ghana. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci. 13(1): 81-88.

DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.aavs/2025/12.1.81.88

ISSN (Online) | 2307-8316; ISSN (Print) | 2309-3331

Copyright: 2025 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

INTRODUCTION

Meat is an excellent source of proteins, minerals, vitamins and fats (Teye et al., 2012; Nkegbe et al., 2013). Meat proteins contain essential amino acids which are required for growth, maintenance, and normal functioning of the human body (Warriss, 2010; González et al., 2020). Meat and its derivatives therefore play a vital role in the diets of humans as reliable sources of protein and other trace nutrients (Nkegbe et al., 2013; Myintzaw et al., 2020).

Despite the significant role played by meat in protecting human health and wellbeing, its unsafe preparation and handling have been reported to be injurious to health (Abdul-Mutalib et al., 2012; Annan-Prah et al., 2012). Foods of animal origin, particularly meat and fish, are classified as high-risk foods due to the likelihood for harbouring and transmitting pathogens to consumers (Yousuf et al., 2008). According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Salmonella infection in meat has been reported to be responsible for foodborne infections, causing illnesses among 91,857 consumers in the EU in 2018 (ECDC, 2020). Redmond and Griffith (2003), also reported that certain conditions in domestic kitchens can promote transfer of food-borne pathogens to humans through cross-contamination between cooked and uncooked meat, inadequate refrigeration, improper thawing, under-cooking and inadequate post-cooking handling practices of food. In addition, inappropriate use of veterinary medication with poor withdrawal periods can lead to the presence of veterinary drug residues in meat, and if consumed could cause complications in humans (Mutua et al., 2020; Onyimonyi et al., 2013).

Most meat products are highly vulnerable to microbial contamination and food poisoning because meat is generally rich in nutrients, has high moisture content and a near neutral pH which make it an ideal medium for growth of several food-borne pathogens (Bersisa et al., 2019; Akinyera et al., 2018). Food poisoning usually occurs as a result of ingesting food which is contaminated with microorganisms or their toxins (Akabanda et al., 2017). This can result in quality deterioration, spoilage or pose public health risk to consumers (Lamuka et al., 2015; Birhamu et al., 2017). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 1 in 10 people fall ill, and about 420,000 die every year through eating food which has been contaminated by microorganisms (WHO, 2015). Other reports have suggested that about 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths occur each year due to poor food handling practices, in which substantial amounts of these deaths were related to poor handling, processing, and consumption of meat (Mangen et al., 2018). In the Netherlands, it has been reported that about 53% of foodborne burden and 31% of all food-related cases were associated with improper meat handling and consumption (WHO, 2019). A World Bank study reported that the impact of consuming unsafe food costs low and middle-income economies nearly US$110 billion in medical expenses each year (World Bank, 2018). Soares et al. (2012) reported that the impact of foodborne diseases has been enormous on the health and economy of developing countries than on developed countries. Where ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections are not performed, diseased animals can enter the food chain, and in some cases, meat from animals which die of natural causes may be processed and consumed without first investigating the cause of death.

In Ghana, there are slaughterhouses in only the major cities of Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Ho. The other cities however have slaughter slabs which commonly operate under poor hygienic conditions, and mostly without meat inspectors (Annan-Prah et al., 2012). Such premises do not carry out ante and post-mortem inspections; a practice which poses animal welfare and public health risks. Additionally, there are no refrigerated meat vans to transport meat from these slaughter slabs to the point of sale, thus carcasses are transported in tricycles lined with polythene, and also in the booths of commercial vehicles. In the Cape Coast metropolis for instance, there is a slaughter slab for processing various livestock species, but there is none in the Assin South district (Mohammed M., personal communication, 2024). This study was therefore conducted to assess the meat handling and its consumption practices in the Cape Coast Metropolis and Assin South District of the Central Region of Ghana to determine the level of risk to public health based on the methods of handling, processing and consumption. The research questions for this study are as follows: What is the most preferred meat type in the study area? Where do meat consumers in the study areas obtain meat? Are privately slaughtered animals inspected for symptoms of diseases?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study Areas

The study was conducted in two areas in the Central Region of Ghana; the Cape Coast Metropolis, and the Assin South District.

The Assin South District was selected because it is a predominantly farming community with about 70 percent of the inhabitants undertaking one farming activity or the other. The district covers a total land area of 1,187 square kilometers and it’s about 12% of the total land area of the Central Region. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), it has a total population of 105,995 made up of 52,083 males and 53,912 females (GSS, 2021). The district lies on latitude 50 30” N and on longitude 10 2” W. It shares boundaries with the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira to the West, Abura Asebu Kwamankese District to the South, Asikuma Odoben- Brakwa and Ajumako Enyan Essiam to the East and the Assin North Municipality to the North (GSS, 2021). The district is mostly rural in nature, and quite a number of the inhabitants are into small scale farming activities (Amoni, J., personal communication, 2024). Unfortunately, the district has no approved slaughter facility for processing animals for consumption, hence the study sought to find out how the inhabitants process/obtain meat for consumption.

The Cape Coast Metropolis on the other hand is a cosmopolitan community and is dominated by people from various parts of the country. The inhabitants are mostly entrepreneurs, students or educational workers due to the high number of good secondary and tertiary institutions in the metropolis. It covers a total land area of about 122 square kilometers, and is borded to the East by Abura–Asebu–Kwamankese District, the Komenda–Edina–Eguafo–Abrem (K.E.E.A.) District to the West, the Gulf of Guinea to the South, and the Twifo Heman Lower Denkyira District to the North. The metropolis is positioned on latitudes 50.07’ to 50.20’ north of the Equator and between longitudes 1˚.11’ to 1˚.41’ west of the Greenwich Meridian. Majority of the active population is engaged in services (GSS, 2021). The Cape Coast metropolis has a slaughter slab which is operated under poor hygienic conditions, and without a refrigerated meat van for transporting meat to the point of sale. This area was chosen because it is closer to the University of Cape Coast, hence the need to evaluate how consumers in the “elite” community handle meat, vis-à-vis those in a “rural setting” (Assin South). The map of the study areas is indicated in Figure 1.

 

Data Collection and Presentation

Six communities each were randomly selected from the Cape Coast Metropolis and the Assin South District THROUGH balloting, for this study. The balloting was done by writing the names of all the communities in each of the study areas on pieces of paper, placed in separate boxes (names of all communities in Cape Coast were in one box, and the other box contained names of communities in the Assin South. The researchers dipped their hands into each of the boxes one after the other, until the names of six communities were picked from each box. It was ensured that all respondents were meat eaters, so vegetarians and others who do not eat meat for various reasons were exempted from this study. Non-meat-eaters were exempted from the study because they do not buy nor eat meat, hence, would not be in a position to provide reliable and unbiased information regarding meat selection and consumption practices. The stratified sampling method was used to select 30 households from each of the 12 communities selected: 6 households each, from the Eastern, Central, Western, Northern and Southern parts of each community (total of 30 households from each community). These numbers were arrived at due to difficulty in getting respondents who were willing to provide sincere information without any influence. In each case, every fifth household in each stratum were visited and those in charge of making meat purchasing decisions (as indicated by the family head) were interviewed (face-to-face) with the aid of questionnaires, until the required number of households was obtained. It was observed that a significantly high number of meat consumers, especially those in the Assin South refused to respond to the questionnaires due to various reasons, including absence of financial rewards in this study, busy schedules, and general lack of interest. The study did not make financial arrangements for respondents (even though snacks were provided) because the authors did not want to entice respondents who might not be interested in contributing to knowledge, but rather in getting money. In all, a total of 360 questionnaires were administered and retrieved. Data obtained were organised and presented in frequency and percentage tables, and also in figures.

 

Table 1: Demographic data of meat consumers in the study areas.

Parameters	Response	Cape Coast (n)	Assin South (n)	Total (n)	Percentage (%)
Gender	Male Female	37 143	59 121	96 264	26.7 73.3
Religion	Christianity Islamic Others	137 40 3	125 42 13	262 82 16	72.8 22.8 4.4
Formal educational background	Primary Junior High Sch. Senior High Sch. Tertiary	16 21 56 87	45 58 49 28	61 79 105 115	16.9 21.9 29.2 31.9
Marital status	Single Married	42 138	76 104	118 242	32.8 67.2

 

n: number of respondents.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

The demographic data on the respondents are presented in Table 1. It was observed that the majority (73.3%) of the respondents were females. This was expected, because in most Ghanaian homes, women are in charge of food purchasing and preparations, even though some may receive money from men for such activities. This finding is consistent with that of Teye et al. (2020) who found that women were in charge of food purchasing decisions in most households in Mankessim and its environs, also in the Central Region. Even though the majority (67.2%) of respondents were married, there were more female respondents than male respondents, confirming the assertion that women are responsible for food purchasing decisions in most households in Ghana. These findings imply that women are gradually gaining some leadership roles in the typical Ghanaian homes which used to be male-dominated in terms of decision making. The remaining 26.7% of the respondents were male, and these were either unmarried or are farmers who mostly slaughtered their own animals for home consumption. Majority (72.8%) of the respondents were of the Christian faith, while a minority (22.8 %) were of the Islamic faith. It was quite encouraging that the study obtained respondents from the two major religions in Ghana, as this is useful in evaluating the opinions of respondents from their religious perspectives.

 

Table 2: Meat Purchasing decisions of respondents.

Parameter	Response	Cape Coast (n)	Assin South (n)	Total (n)	(%)
Most preferred meat type	Chicken Chevon Beef Mutton Pork Others	22 35 99 13 8 3	15 42 80 16 19 8	37 77 179 29 27 11	10.3 21.4 49.7 8.1 7.5 3.1
Point of purchase	Cold stores Butchers shop Nearby animal farms Own farm	82 54 18 26	14 29 57 80	96 83 75 106	26.7 23.1 20.8 29.4
Preferred texture of fresh meat	Tough Tender	96 84	124 56	220 140	61.1 38.9
Reasons for preferring tough meat	Does not disintegrate when cooked No particular reason	92 4	116 8	208 12	94.5 5.5
Reasons for preferring tender meat	Easier to cook It is less expensive	77 7	24 32	101 39	72.1 27.9

 

n: number of respondents.

 

The educational background of the respondents was similar among the various categories, as similar proportions of respondents were found across all the educational levels provided on the questionnaires. Respondents in the Cape Coast Metropolis however, had higher levels of education than those from the Assin South district. This is unsurprising because Cape Coast is known for its educational achievements, with the city attracting students from the length and breadth of Ghana. This observation might be due to the presence of Secondary and Tertiary institutions in Cape Coast. Another possible reason for this observation is the fact that some of the respondents from Cape Coast were educational workers, thus had higher levels of education than those from Assin South who were mostly small-scale farmers. The varying levels of education of the respondents could most likely affect the response to issues discussed during the data collection period.

The meat purchasing decisions of the respondents are presented in Table 2. We found beef to be the most preferred type of meat in this study, followed by chevon (goat meat) and chicken being the third. The main reason given by those who prefer beef was that beef is a firm meat, and that it was suitable for all kinds of dishes, unlike broiler chicken which they said easily disintegrates when used for soup, so its most appropriate when used for stew. This finding is similar to that of Mahaboubil-Haq and Adzitey (2016) who reported that beef was the most preferred meat in their study, and attributed it to its availability on sale in various sizes and parts in most butchers’ shops, unlike locally-produced chicken. This assertion is because chicken produced in Ghana are either sold live or whole carcass, but not in primal parts due to limited facilities to process live chicken into primal parts. Patronage of parts of the meat of locally-grown chicken by low-income earners is therefore not possible, so they either opt for imported chicken which is always available in various parts and sizes, or meat of other livestock species. The findings from the current study however contradicts those of Nkegbe et al. (2013) who observed that chicken was the highly preferred meat among households in Accra, followed by beef. The higher patronage of chicken in Accra might be due to the abundance of cold stores which sell imported chicken and their parts, thus consumers easily get portions they prefer or can afford. Such cold stores are not common in especially the Assin South District, hence the lower preference for chicken in that area. Those who preferred chicken said they are forced to buy whole or live chicken even in the absence of parts (instead of beef or chevon) because chicken is a white meat with lower levels of saturated fats, thus are healthier. This assertion is supported by findings from earlier studies which reported that chicken fat is high in unsaturated fatty acids than beef, chevon and mutton, and thus is perceived to be a healthier option for cardiovascular patients (Warris, 2010; Adamski et al., 2017). In a survey involving Polish meat consumers, Adamski et al. (2017) found that 94% of respondents consumed mainly poultry meat and the main reason for their preference for poultry was because they consider it to be more dietetic than red meat. Others also said they preferred chicken meat because they can easily keep and slaughter chickens, unlike beef, chevon or mutton because such animals are more difficult to keep due to the larger space requirements. In an earlier study involving consumers in Agona Swedru, Teye and Seidu (2018), reported that chicken was the most popularly reared species because keeping poultry requires less space of land and relatively easier to manage compared to cattle, goats and sheep.

In the current study, consumers in Assin South indicated higher preference for chevon and mutton, than those in the Cape Coast Metropolis. When probed further, it was realized that quite a number of the respondents who are into farming in the Assin South district kept goats and sheep on free range or in their backyard, but that system of livestock rearing was not common in Cape Coast due to its urban nature. So, it can be argued that respondents in Assin South prefer chevon and mutton because it is readily available as compared with the Cape Coast Metropolis. About 3.1% of the respondents however, indicated their preference for other meat types such as game meat, because to them such meats were lean and tastier, in consistence with the findings of Teye et al. (2020), who reported lower fat contents in the meat of wild cane rats, than in the meat of domesticated ones. Such meats from game animals are perceived to be healthier than “fatty meats” from domesticated animals (Warriss, 2010).

Respondents were also evaluated for their preferred point of purchase of meat, and we found that majority of those in the Cape Coast Metropolis purchased their meat from cold stores and butcher shops, whereas those from Assin South mostly obtained their meat from nearby farms or from their own farms or backyard gardens. This is because Cape Coast metropolis has a number of cold stores and butcher shops, compared to Assin South which has few. Respondents in Assin South therefore have little choice, so they resort to keeping their own animals to feed their immediate families and possibly their neighbours. The practice of slaughtering animals at home should however not be encouraged because unhealthy animals could be slaughtered due to lack of ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections by qualified personnel (Veterinary Technicians). This can compromise animal welfare, and can lead to the spread of zoonotic diseases such as anthrax, tuberculosis, and other public health emergencies may rise among family members (WHO, 2015). It is however worth noting that the practice of ‘home slaughter’ of animals is common even in the industrialized economies. For instance, animal owners within the EU can slaughter at home, but such meats can only be consumed by the owner and their immediate households. It is therefore, an offence in the EU to sell meat from home slaughter to the general public (EC No. 853/2004).

Respondents were then asked to indicate their preference for meat texture. The majority (61.1%) indicated their preference for tough fresh meat, but would prefer their cooked meat to be tender. This observation is contrary to previous findings which reported that tender meats were more valuable and highly preferred by sophisticated consumers (Warris, 2010). Lusk et al. (2001) evaluated consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for tenderness as opposed to toughness, they found that 51% of respondents were prepared to pay for steaks that were tender. In the present study, it was probed further the reasons for preferring tough fresh meat to tender meat, and 94.5% said their decision was based on the fact that tender fresh meats usually disintegrate when used for soup, unlike tough meat. This is so because in most Ghanaian homes, food is traditionally cooked over a long period of time under high heat condition to kill all microbes that may be present in the food, and this prolong cooking indirectly reduces the toughness of meat. If tender fresh meats were obtained and cooked in that manner, the meat would disintegrate by the time the cooking ends; a phenomenon disliked by most Ghanaian consumers. Prolong cooking was encouraged in earlier studies to help destroy some pathogens in meat which would otherwise have caused disease among consumers, as most slaughterhouses in Ghana operate under unhygienic conditions (Annan-Prah et al., 2012). The practice of prolong cooking however, could result in some proteins in the meat getting denatured, thus reducing the nutritional value of the food (Warris, 2010). Few of the respondents (mainly from the Cape Coast metropolis) however indicated that they preferred tender fresh meat because it was easier to cook (72.1%), and others said tender meat was cheaper (27.9%) than tough ones, contrary to what pertains in western countries (Warris, 2010).

 

Consumers who own livestock were asked how often they slaughter their animals for meat, and the response are presented in Figure 2. When asked how often consumers slaughter animals for consumption, about 49% said they slaughter animals mainly during festive occasions like Christmas, Easter and during other social events. It was however notable that some consumers only slaughter their animals when they are sick (25.5%), or when sick animals do not respond to veterinary interventions (15.1%). Few (10.4%) of the respondents shockingly indicated that when their animals die, they process the meat for consumption to avoid the carcass going waste (in their opinion). Slaughter of sick and dressing of dead animals for human consumption presents serious public health risk because such meat can result in transmission of zoonotic diseases, thus diseases which attack both humans and animals (Dawson et al., 1995; Myintzaw et al., 2020). This practice is of serious public health concern, and consumers are advised to desist from eating the meat of sick or animals that die of natural causes. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD) should intensify their activities to sensitize the populace on the need to urgently avoid such meats, no matter how poor one could be. The aspect of slaughtering animals which are not responding to treatment for human consumption is even more dangerous, because aside the potential transmission of zoonotic diseases to consumers, those being treated with antibiotics could have residues in their meat, and when these are consumed could result in antibiotic resistance in the consumers, which is also an issue of public health concern. Consumer education is therefore needed in the study area to create awareness on the consequences of consuming meat from animals which are sick, dead or are on antibiotic treatments.

 

Table 3: How livestock owners process their animals for meat.

Parameter	Response	Cape Coast (n)	Assin South (n)	Total (n)	(%)
Where animals are slaughtered for home consumption	At the slaughterhouse Owner’s house Nearby bush	8 14 4	0 56 24	8 70 28	7.5 66.0 26.4
Inspection of animals and carcasses by vets	Done Not done	8 18	0 80	8 98	7.5 92.5

 

n: number of respondents.

 

Respondents who kept and slaughtered their own animals for food were asked to indicate how they process their animals for consumption, the results are presented in Table 3.

When asked where they slaughter their animals, about 66% said they slaughter at home. Most of such respondents were from the Assin South District, and the practice was mainly due to the absence of slaughter facilities in that area. This is against the laws of Ghana because slaughtering animals at home could promote the transmission and spread of zoonotic diseases from animals which might be infected with such diseases, to human (Klous et al., 2016; Adesokan et al., 2019; McDaniel et al., 2014). Few of the respondents in the Cape Coast metropolis however, indicated that they send their animals to the slaughterhouse for processing. This was possible because there are approved slaughterhouses in Cape Coast, but none in the Assin South district. Some of the respondents who do not have enough space in their premises indicated that they slaughter their animals in nearby bushes (26.4%). This could also be a major cause of meat contamination and environmental pollution as the bushes are sources of pathogens, flies and other insects which could render the meat unwholesome, and the remnants could pollute the environment.

When asked if the animals they slaughter and the resulting meat were inspected by veterinary officers, those who slaughter at home indicated that no inspection is done by Veterinary Technicians. Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections are mandatory requirements at slaughter premises to ensure the resulting meat is wholesome to avoid transmission and spread of zoonotic diseases. The absence of inspection at most of the study areas is a threat to meat safety, as zoonotic diseases could easily be transmitted to consumers. Those who sent their animals to the slaughterhouse however, indicated that the animals and the meat are inspected by veterinary personnel at the slaughter facility. This was possible because it is mandatory for every slaughterhouse to have meat inspectors who are provided by the central government.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The findings from this study indicate that beef was the most popular meat type. Most of the consumers prefer tough to tender fresh meats, but tender cooked meat because the style of their cooking (prolong cooking under high heat) causes tender meats to disintegrate in the food. Contrary to expectations, some consumers indicated that tough meats are more expensive than tender ones due to the higher demand. It was discovered that some consumers slaughter their animals for meat mainly when the animals were sick, do not respond to treatment or die of ill-health. This is seen as serious health concern, and as such, it is recommended that the general public should be educated on the need to ensure hygiene and safety of the meat they eat by ensuring they are obtained from healthy animals, and proper inspections conducted before and after slaughter before the meat it accepted for consumption. The government should help improve slaughter facilities in hard-to-reach areas, or provide meat vans to transport meat from the slaughterhouses to areas where there are none.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to Mr Richard Badu for his assistance in the research data collection.

Novelty Statement

This study discovered that some consumers slaughter for consumption; sick animals, animals that are not responding to treatment, and those that die of natural causes, thus creating public health concerns. It was however not documented in earlier findings, thus making it a novel finding for the study area. In addition, earlier findings reported that consumers prefer tender meat, but this study observed that quite a number of the respondents preferred tough fresh meat, contrary to earlier findings.

AUTHOR’S CONTRIBUTIONS

Moses Teye and Joshua Amoni conducted the study, Moses Teye and Awal Fuseini wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to revision of manuscript, and proof reading of the final version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interest whatsoever.

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