By Thompson Yamput
The Kogi Government has been urged to ban the consumption of animal blood as meat by the public due to its negative and dangerous implications to human health.
“This is because permitting the consumption of blood as meat through legislation is a disaster waiting to happen,” the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) has warned.
The ASAN President, Mr Raymond Isiadonso, made the appeal in his submission at the public hearing on an Executive Bill for a Law To Provide For The Establishment of Kogi State Meat Hygiene and Inspection and Other Matters Connected, held at the state House of Assembly on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in Lokoja that the public hearing on the draft was chaired by the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Mr Usman Adejoh.
The public hearing had several organisations, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), that made various observations and reservations on the draft bill all with the aim to fine tune it to be passed in to law by the state government.
The president, who made other several observations and recommendations, said that Sections 62 and 63 (1) (c) on page 18 and Section 81(3) on page 23 of the Bill needed to be reconsidered.
Represented by Dr Abdullahi Jimoh, ASAN North Central Coordinator, Isiadonso said that local people that consume blood as meat are doing so out of ignorance of its health and religious implications.
“Even the use of blood meal as feedstuff for livestock species is being discouraged in several countries including Nigeria,” he said.
He also picked hole in the inclusion of Anaesthesia on animals at the abattoirs during slaughtering, especially in Section 72 on page 21, which is about slaughtering and administration of anaesthesia.
According to him, Anaesthesia is not a method or an instrument of slaughtering and therefore should not be encouraged at all.
He equally raised an eyebrow on the preference being giving to Veterinary Doctors above Animal Scientists in the abattoirs
“Do Veterinarians know the need for feed withdrawal before slaughtering? This is not only for economic reasons but also for meat quality which can also affect the result of the meat inspection in addition to hygiene reasons.
“Do Veterinarians know the importance of resting an animal before slaughtering especially as it relates to meat quality?
“A Veterinarian will only be called if there is an outbreak of disease aside his presence.
“Section 81 on page 23 is about dressing of slaughtered animal. The dressing of carcass and separation into prima cuts to meet consumers’ preference is the exclusive duty of an Animal Scientist.
“Section 46 on page 16 is about lairage. The provisions in this section is lacking in professionalism. All routine operations in the lairage are within the purview of an Animal Scientist,” he averred.
The president lamented that the Bill placed premium is on the by-products of the abattoir, which include hide and skin, hooves, bone marrows, bones, hair/feathers, fetuses, etc. from the slaughtered animals.
He added: “The Animal Scientists know that these by-products constitute about 32% of the Animal and so have economic value as they can be converted into products which are usable and thus generates additional money for the owner of the Animal.
“A critical look at all these areas indicates that it is clear that the administration and management of abattoir rest squarely on the shoulder of an Animal Scientist, including Registration of premises relating to meat packaging and distribution.”
He also pointed out that “the organisation and arrangement of this Bill is not chronological and several other aspects needed in a standard abattoir are missing”.
According to him, a standard abattoir should have provision for Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all activities as well as compliance with Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) so as to guarantee food safety.
He said it was essential to add that there is an existing Federal Government gazette Volume 109 number 144 of 2022 titled “Animal Handling and Meat Processing and Distribution in Abattoir Regulation 2022″.
“This federal government regulation is explicit about professionals and operations in the meat handling value chain. For instance, Section 11 of the gazette deals with lairage which the proposed Bill intends to repeat on Section 46 of page 16.
“Sections 14 to 18 of the gazette deal with carcass splitting, washing, splaying, evisceration, hanging and distribution and most of these steps are lacking in the proposed Bill. This gazette is attached as appendix for reference purpose,” he said.
The president, however, prayed the House of Assembly to reject the Bill for a redraft.
“Consequently upon the aforementioned, the Animal Science Association of Nigeria is praying that this Bill be rejected to be redrafted so as to meet the realities of modern day abattoir,” he prayed.
Responding, the committee chairman, said that all issues raised and recommendations made to the committee would be carefully studied and needful done in the interest 9of residents of Kogi as it relate to meat hygiene. NAN
