One Health approach improves food safety in slaughterhouses and traditional markets in Vietnam

On 27 December 2024, the CGIAR Initiative on One Health and partners organized a final meeting in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam to share the results of food safety interventions in the province.

Over 60 participants attended the meeting, drawn from state agencies, research institutes, universities and the private sector.

The One Health Initiative (2022-24) applied a multi-sectoral One Health approach aimed at protecting human, animal and environment health.

In Vietnam, the initiative focused on controlling zoonotic diseases, improving food safety and reducing antimicrobial resistance in high-risk areas.

Improving slaughterhouse hygiene

Earlier research by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Vietnam found that nearly 40% of pork samples from slaughterhouses and over 60% of pork samples from traditional markets contained Salmonella, a bacterial pathogen that causes food poisoning.

Therefore, the One Health initiative implemented food safety interventions at 16 slaughterhouses in Can Tho, Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Thua Thien Hue provinces.

The interventions were coordinated by ILRI and the National Institute of Veterinary Research, in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Institute for Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, the Mekong Development Research Institute, and the provincial local authorities.

The interventions involved providing hygiene tools such as stainless-steel floor mats, signage for good practice reminders, soap and disinfectants.

In addition, 16 training sessions were held for over 210 slaughterhouse owners and workers to improve food safety practices during slaughtering.

A hygiene practice evaluation program was also carried out in Can Tho and Hanoi for over 70 workers and slaughterhouse owners, focusing on nine key hygiene criteria.

Preliminary results from interventions at some slaughterhouses in Hanoi and Thai Nguyen showed that Salmonella contamination on pork carcasses decreased by about 15% in the intervention group compared to the control group.

Enhancing food safety at traditional markets

At 68 traditional markets in Can Tho, Dong Nai, Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Thua Thien Hue, the research team interacted with nearly 500 vendors, trained 399 and provided 155 with tools to improve hygienic practices while handling food products.

The training emphasized three main principles: keeping tools and surfaces clean, separating raw and cooked food, and regularly washing hands and tools.

The training program improved the vendors' food safety practices at their stalls, particularly those who received tools at the intervention markets.

Additionally, the evaluation of hygiene practices at meat stalls encouraged vendors to adhere to safety standards.

Training on hygiene practices for pork retailers in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam (photo credit: ILRI/Sinh Dang-Xuan).

The intervention helped to reduce Salmonella contamination at the markets by 2-10% compared to the control markets.

Consumer awareness was also raised through food safety communication campaigns.

Nguyen Van Hung, director of the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Production in Thua Thien Hue, noted the positive impact of the One Health Initiative through enhanced coordination between veterinary and health sectors and shared training, monitoring and implementation plans.

ILRI scientist Sinh Dang-Xuan noted that the food safety interventions at meat stalls in traditional markets had motivated vendors to apply good hygiene practices, lowering bacterial contamination on pork and thus reducing risks to consumers.

Bui Nghia Vuong, head of the Virology Department at the National Institute of Veterinary Research, commented:

'During the project implementation, multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination between local management agencies and the research team were crucial in addressing the complex challenge of food safety. We hope to continue receiving support and commitment from all stakeholders to scale up these models.'

Header photo: A pork retailer in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam joining the food safety rating program (photo credit: ILRI/Trang Le)

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