Modernise Slaughterhouses

Samip Nepal

Nepal is consuming more meat than ever. Going by the statistics, Nepal consumed 552,000 tons of meat in 2020, rising from 375,000 tons the year before. A Nepali on average now eats 18 kg meat annually. Around 700,000 kilograms of poultry meat is consumed throughout the country making it 46 per cent of the total meat consumption followed by 33 per cent buff meat, 17 per cent mutton and 4 per cent pork. Nepal is now consuming 552,000 tons of meat annually. The country produces meat worth Rs. 275 billion per year.

The meat industry is worth more than a billion rupees but it is not without flaws. The meat we are consuming is one of the most unsafe and unhygienic food items sold in the market. The government seems to have paid little attention to improving the quality and hygiene of meat. All the stakeholders, including traders, consumers and authorities, have little to no awareness of good hygienic practices. As a result, it has become difficult to produse and supply hygienic meat.

This is due to a number of reasons. One important factor is lack of implementation of Meat Inspection Act, 1999 and its Regulations, 2001. There is prevalence of Salmonella species in the meat we consume, which causes food poisioning. Similarly, adulteration and contaminantion of meat during the slaughter by butchers and no basic ante- and post-mortem check of meat animals. There is no food inspector to regulate the quality assurance of meat the common people are having. 

The primary issue is that the country lacks modern abattoirs (slaughterhouses) and the existing ones are too traditional with no basic infrastructure to deliver clean and healthy meat for wholesome consumption. To solve all these issues, a proper facility with meat inspection, quality check and assurance is necessary in major cities around the country. 

Slaughterhouses act as the starting point of the meat industry, where stock come from farms/market to enter the food chain. In major cities, the settlements are too large for individuals to rear their own stock for personal consumption as opposed to villages so a proper meat industry is a must. 

Meeting the demand of a large amount of meat, a systematic and substantial meat plant is a must. Abattoir not only provides an opportunity for inspection and evaluation of meat animals on arrival through ante mortem inspection but also on dispatch of the carcasses, meat products and other parts of slaughtered animals following the postmortem inspection. It improves meat handling process, recovery and utilisation of by-products and waste treatment along with hygienic meat as opposed to traditional slaughter which produces a lot of blood and foul smell. 

Abattoir industry set up away from residences will also cater for animal safety as they are killed by making them unconscious rather than brutally killing them in traditional meat shops. Similarly, regular customers will not be forced to watch the barbaric killing while buying the meat from shops. With the rapid urbanisation, it is necessary to pay heed to establishing modern abattoirs in the country.