AUTHOR=Ting Nancy I. , Dang-Xuan Sinh , Gilbert Jeffrey , Nguyen Nguyen Thao Thi , Lam Steven , Nguyen-Viet Hung 

TITLE=A glance into traditional pig slaughtering practices in Vietnam and opportunities for zoonotic disease prevention

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1101282

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2023.1101282

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=African swine fever in Vietnam isare contributing to existing concerns over zoonotic disease transmission from sick pigs to humans. While slaughterhouses are key sites of occupational hazards to workers and contamination of meat, the specific slaughtering practices contributing to zoonotic occupational and foodborne disease risks remain under-researched. Our objective is to identify and characterize aspects of pig slaughtering processes that contribute to such risks. To do so, we draw on qualitative observations, photos, and videos from three mobile slaughterhouses and seven abattoirs in Hung Yen, Vietnam. Based on our analysis, areas likely leading to zoonoticoccupational and foodborne disease risks include slaughtering procedures, personal hygiene of workers, equipment sanitation, and facility sanitation. Within the small-scale swine industry, slaughtering practices are long-standing and difficult to change. Our study underscores the importance of hygiene training of workers, improvements to and regulation of equipment and facilities, and awareness-building activities targeting consumers to reduce the burden of zoonotic  disease risks in informal slaughterhouse settings.