Food Protection Trends - May/June 2021 - 281

consumers who prefer beef to other types of meat and who
may consume it daily indicates that retail beef has higher
consumer acceptability-irrespective of beliefs, culture,
educational status, and household income level-than other
meat types consumed in the study area. In studies conducted
in major parts of southwestern Nigeria, beef was the most
preferred meat type among consumers (1, 31). Meat dietary
consumption is affected by a complex interaction of several
of these factors associated with consumers' lifestyles (7, 17).
This finding is similar to that in other neighboring African
countries, like Ghana (36). Usually, beef is preferred by
purchasers and consumers because it is cheaper and more
readily available at retail compared to other common meat
types. Consumers prefer to purchase meat from retail outlets,
which are close to residential areas, rather than from abattoirs
and farms. The finding that about a quarter of respondents
reported a reduction of meat intake in response to food
safety concerns in the last 5 years was expected. Concern
over beef safety, in addition to changing consumer lifestyles,
the presence of antimicrobial residues in meat and meat
products, poor meat processing, and poor meat quality
have contributed to the declining intake of meat (14, 22).
Consumers have also reduced meat intake because of its high
price and its fat content (8, 15).
Because consumers are becoming better educated and
demanding better-processed meats, an above-average
number of respondents expressed concerns about meat
safety due to the perceived risk of exposure to clinical
disease, drug residues, and drug-resistant pathogens
and infections; this calls for concern. Previous studies
have highlighted meat contamination with pathogens,
the presence of drug residues in meat, and the spread
of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in meat processing
environments and at retail in Nigeria (24, 30, 32, 33,
35). In developed countries such as the United States,
several recalls have been recorded as a result (9-11, 52).
Our results agree with a previous finding that the current
practices observed from slaughter to sales of meat fall
below expected quality standards and hygiene levels, which
exposes consumers to food contamination and foodborne
illnesses (34). Based on these findings, interventions are
needed to reduce the perceived risk of meat safety; these
interventions should target sources where consumers
purchase retail meat and also processed meat products.
The majority of respondents reported that meat producers,
meat processors, retail meat vendors, restaurants, homemade
food processors, and government inspectors and regulators
have important roles to play in assuring meat safety. With the
highest weighted mean score (3.85%), meat processors in
the food service industry are seen to occupy a key position in
ensuring that consumers are exposed to minimal food safety
risks in the meat food chain. A failure of the meat processor
to fill this crucial gap could have a negative effect on consumers' risk perception and attitudes toward meat consumption.

Nigeria, like most developing countries, does not have
official grades or standards for beef in the retail meat
market; this affects how consumers determine meat quality
and safety. Our findings showed that, in determining meat
safety, respondents considered the freshness of meat most
important and price least important. In Kumasi metropolis
of Ghana, consumers placed a higher emphasis on adherence
to good hygiene practices in the shopping environment,
packaging, low-fat beef, and product certification for safety
and quality purposes more than on other attributes such as
price (36). Jabbar and Admassu (20) in Ethiopia found that
consumers consider freshness, more than price, a crucial
attribute for meat quality. The same is observed in many
European countries (40). Elsewhere in Ethiopia, respondents
rated poor hygiene as a greater factor in meat consumption
decisions than product price or consumer income status (5).
This supports the observations that consumer awareness is
growing about the need to consume good quality, safe meat
and that the freshness of meat is a major factor that could
influence consumer meat consumption patterns. However, it
was observed that poor consumers in resource poor countries
patronize the informal retail markets because the meat is
inexpensive and available within the rural localities (21).
Bacterial counts are useful tools in determining contamination and hygiene of meat meant for consumption. Our study
obtained APCs and TCCs for meat samples from seven major
retail outlets of at least 8 and 5 log, respectively. The APCs
for the meat display table were similar to those observed in
the meat samples, whereas TCCs on meat display tables were
at least 3 log. The APCs and TCCs for the meat samples and
meat display tables were high and exceeded existing set standards (16). For instance, APC in meat should not be above
5 log/g. We found generally unsatisfactory hygiene levels in
beef displayed for sale in Ilorin. Most meat retailers display
meat unwrapped on the display tables, which exposes the
product to dust and other contaminants. This disruption in
hygiene and good processing practices at a crucial point along
the meat production chain could easily lead to meat spoilage
and affect the shelf life of the retail meat, which would have a
negative effect on consumer perception of the food safety risk
of the retail meat. Elsewhere in the country, lower APCs and
TCCs were recorded for beef (6, 12). However, these counts
were higher in a previous study (4). Comparably, a previous
study outside Nigeria indicated APCs above acceptable international limits (21). Several factors may contribute to the
high microbial counts observed in the retail meat and meat
display table samples in Ilorin: poor hygiene practices in meat
handling and processing, transport, and trade procedures
that lead to poor-quality finished meat and meat products (2,
3). Consumers are exposed to foodborne diseases and other
health risks and hazards if retail meats are not well prepared
before consumption. Interestingly, the common way of
cooking meat in Nigeria is rigorous, and it renders the meat
microbiologically safe for consumption. The meat is usually

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