Hygiene Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) of Retailers and their Association to E. coli Contamination in Pork Sold in La Trinidad, Benguet
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Jun 27, 2025
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Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the meat hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pork retailers and the Escherichia coli (E. coli) load of pork sold in La Trinidad, Benguet. A total of 72 pooled pork samples (60 grams per sample) were collected from all 72 registered meat stalls in the La Trinidad Public Market and the satellite markets across the municipality’s 16 barangays. These samples were analyzed for E. coli presence and load, while face-to-face interviews using a KAP questionnaire assessed the pork vendors' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding meat hygiene. The results revealed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.73, p<0.01) between the vendors' KAP scores and the E. coli load in pork, indicating that barangays with higher KAP levels had lower levels of E. coli load. Further, 99% (71/72) of the pork samples tested positive for E. coli, with all samples exceeding the allowable limit (<10 cfu/g).The meat vendors demonstrated knowledge at 75.50%, attitude at 85.76%, and practice at 81.67%, resulting in an overall KAP score of 80.83%, classified as good. These findings suggest that while vendors demonstrate sufficient knowledge and satisfactory attitudes and practices concerning meat hygiene, significant gaps remain, as evidenced by the high levels of E. coli contamination and load. This study highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these gaps, ensuring improved meat hygiene practices and reduced microbial contamination and load in pork sold in La Trinidad.
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Costello, C., Gaddis, T., Tamplin, M., & Morris, W. (1997). Evaluating the effectiveness of two instructional techniques for teaching four food safety principles to quick service employees. Journal of Foodservice Systems, 10(1): 41-50.
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da Vitória, A.G., de Souza Couto Oliveira, J., de Almeida Pereira, L.C. et al. Food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers: A cross-sectional study in school kitchens in Espírito Santo, Brazil. BMC Public Health 21, 349. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889021-10282-1
Diyantoro, & Wardhana, D.K. (2019). Risk Factors for Bacterial Contamination of Bovine Meat during Slaughter in Ten Indonesian Abattoirs. Veterinary Medicine International, 2019, 2707064. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2707064
Elsas, J., Semenov, A., Costa, R., & Trevors, J. (2011). Mini Review: Survival of Escherichia coli in its environment: Fundamental and public Health aspects. pp. 173-183.
European Food Safety Authority (2017). The 2015 European Union report on pesticide residues in food. European Food Safety Authority Journal, 15(4), e04791. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4791
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Gill, C.O. (2014). Sources of microbial contamination at slaughtering plants. https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845691028.2.231
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Hassan Ali, N., Farooqui, A., Khan, A., Khan, A.Y., & Kazmi, S.U. (2010). Microbial contamination of raw meat and its environment in retail shops in Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 4(6): 382–388.
Jairoun, A., Hassan, N., Ali, A., Jairoun, O., & Shahwan, M. (2019). Knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic use among university students: a cross sectional study in UAE. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 518. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6878-y
Jenpanich, C. 2015. Knowledge, attitudes and practices study on pig meat hygiene at slaughterhouses and markets in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. MVPH thesis, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand and Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Kabwang, R., Kitwa, M., Melin, P., Daube, G., Mol, P.D., & Kaut, M.A. (2019). Risk factors associated with retail meat vendors in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. African Journal of Food Science. http://www.academicjournals.org/AJFS
Kim, J.H., & Yim, D.G. (2016). Assessment of the Microbial Level for Livestock Products in Retail Meat Shops Implementing HACCP System. Korean Journal for food Science of Animal Resources, 36(5): 594–600. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2016.36.5.594
Ko, W.H. (2013). The relationship among food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported HACCP practices in restaurant employees. Food Control, 29: 192-7.
Luanda, Catherine & Buza, Joram & Mwanyika, Gaspary & Lyimo, Beatus & Mrutu, Rehema & Subbiah, Murugan & Call, Douglas. (2016). Bacterial Contamination of Pork Carcasses from Arusha, Tanzania. Global Journal of Advanced Research, 3. 806-817. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308967118_BACTERIAL_CONTAMINATION_OF_PORK_CARCASSES_
FROM_ARUSHA_TANZANIA
Lues, J.F.R., & Van Tonder, I. (2007). The occurrence of indicator bacteria on hands and aprons of food handlers in the delicatessen sections of a retail group. Food Control, 18(4): 326-332.
Lynch, R.A., Elledge, B.L., Griffith, C.C., & Boatright, D.T. (2003). A comparison of food safety knowledge among restaurant managers, by source of training and experience, in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Journal of Environmental Health, 66(2): 9–26.
McIntyre, L., Vallaster, L., Wilcott, L., Henderson, S.B., & Kosatsky, T. Evaluation of food safety knowledge, attitudes and self‐reported hand washing practices in FOODSAFE trained and untrained food handlers in British Columbia. Canada. Food Control, 30(1): 150–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.06.034
Muleme, J., Kankya, C., Ssempebwa, J.C., Mazeri, S., Muwonge, A. (2017). A Framework for integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Knowledge, attitude, and Practice studies: a case study of Pesticide Usage in eastern Uganda. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(5), 318. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00318
Quinn, P.J., Markey, B.K., & Carter, M.E. (2002). Veterinary microbiology and microbial disease.
Salih, S.,Madkhali, A., Al-Hazmi, W., & Al-Khaldy, A., Moafa, T., Al-Gahtani, E., & Al-Muhib, M. (2019). Knowledge, attitude, and practices on over the counter oral analgesics among female students of Jazan University.
Shah, P., Shrestha, R., Mao, Z., Chen, Y., Chen, Y., Koju, P., Liu, X., & Li, H. (2019). Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Associated with Antibiotic Use among University Students: A Survey in Nepal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(20), 3996. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203996
Tenaillon, O., Skurnik, D., Picard,B., & Denamur, E.
(2010). The population genetics of commensal Escherichia coli. Nat. Rev. Microbiol., 8, 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2298.https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2298#citeas
Waters, A.E., Contente-Cuomo, T., Buchhagen, J., Liu, C.M., Watson, L., Pearce, K., Foster, J.T., Bowers, J., Driebe, E.M., Engelthaler, D.M., Keim, P.S., & Price, L.B. (2011). Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in US Meat and Poultry. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 52 (10), 1227–1230. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cir181
Worsfold, D. (1995). Recipe for food safety. Nutrition and Food Science, 96(6):22-25.
You, S., & Han, W. (2020). Approaching knowledge, attitudes, and practices model for elderly with dementia who are suspected to have hearing impairment in Korea. Journal of Audiology & Otology, 24(1), 40.
Arnab, R. (2017). Nonsampling errors. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 469–504). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-811848-1.00015-7
Bohaycguk, V.M., Gensler, G.A., & Barrios, P.R. (2011). Microbiological baseline study of beef and pork carcasses from provincially inspected abattoirs in Alberta, Canada. Can Vet J., 52(10): 1095–1100. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC3174505/
Boukhors, Kn H., K.T., Dahmani A., Zenia S., Aissi, M. (2012). Survey of hygiene in ovine slaughterhouses of Algiers region by bacteriological analysis of carcasses. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res., 6: 4722–4726.
Buang, N.F.B., Rahman, N.A.A., & Haque, M. (2019). Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hypertension among residents in a housing area in Selangor, Malaysia. Medicine and Pharmacy Reports, 92(2): 145–152. https://doi.org/10.15386/mpr-1227
Campos, A.K.C., Cardonha, Â.M.S., Pinheiro, L. B.G., Ferreira, N.R., Azevedo, de Paulo, R.M., Stamford, T.L.M. (2009). Assessment of personal hygiene and practices of food handlers in municipal public schools of Natal, Brazil. Food Control, 20: 807–10.
Centre for Disease Control. (1996). Centre for Disease Control Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks, United States, 1988–1992. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep., 4(5):1–73.
Clayton, D.A., Griffith, D.J., Price, P., & Peters, A.C. (2002). Food handlers’ beliefs and self-reported practices. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 12: 25-39.
Costello, C., Gaddis, T., Tamplin, M., & Morris, W. (1997). Evaluating the effectiveness of two instructional techniques for teaching four food safety principles to quick service employees. Journal of Foodservice Systems, 10(1): 41-50.
Dauda Goni, M., Hasan, H., Naing, N.N., Wan-Arfah, N., Zeiny Deris, Z., Nor Arifin, W., & Abubakar Baaba, A. (2019). Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims from Malaysia in 2018. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(22), 4569. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224569
Da Silva Frost, A., & Ledgerwood, A. (2020). Calibrate your confidence in research findings: A tutorial on improving research methods and practices. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 14.
da Vitória, A.G., de Souza Couto Oliveira, J., de Almeida Pereira, L.C. et al. Food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers: A cross-sectional study in school kitchens in Espírito Santo, Brazil. BMC Public Health 21, 349. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889021-10282-1
Diyantoro, & Wardhana, D.K. (2019). Risk Factors for Bacterial Contamination of Bovine Meat during Slaughter in Ten Indonesian Abattoirs. Veterinary Medicine International, 2019, 2707064. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2707064
Elsas, J., Semenov, A., Costa, R., & Trevors, J. (2011). Mini Review: Survival of Escherichia coli in its environment: Fundamental and public Health aspects. pp. 173-183.
European Food Safety Authority (2017). The 2015 European Union report on pesticide residues in food. European Food Safety Authority Journal, 15(4), e04791. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4791
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2014). Developing and maintaining food safety control systems for Africa Current Status and prospects for change. Second FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators. Bangkok, Thailand: Regional Office for Africa; 2004. pp. 12–14.
Gill, C.O. (2014). Sources of microbial contamination at slaughtering plants. https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845691028.2.231
Gillespie, I., Little, C., & Mitchell, R. (2000). Microbiological examination of cold ready-toeat sliced meats from catering establishments in the United Kingdom. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 88(3): 467–474. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2000.00981.x
Hassan Ali, N., Farooqui, A., Khan, A., Khan, A.Y., & Kazmi, S.U. (2010). Microbial contamination of raw meat and its environment in retail shops in Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 4(6): 382–388.
Jairoun, A., Hassan, N., Ali, A., Jairoun, O., & Shahwan, M. (2019). Knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic use among university students: a cross sectional study in UAE. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 518. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6878-y
Jenpanich, C. 2015. Knowledge, attitudes and practices study on pig meat hygiene at slaughterhouses and markets in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. MVPH thesis, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand and Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Kabwang, R., Kitwa, M., Melin, P., Daube, G., Mol, P.D., & Kaut, M.A. (2019). Risk factors associated with retail meat vendors in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. African Journal of Food Science. http://www.academicjournals.org/AJFS
Kim, J.H., & Yim, D.G. (2016). Assessment of the Microbial Level for Livestock Products in Retail Meat Shops Implementing HACCP System. Korean Journal for food Science of Animal Resources, 36(5): 594–600. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2016.36.5.594
Ko, W.H. (2013). The relationship among food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported HACCP practices in restaurant employees. Food Control, 29: 192-7.
Luanda, Catherine & Buza, Joram & Mwanyika, Gaspary & Lyimo, Beatus & Mrutu, Rehema & Subbiah, Murugan & Call, Douglas. (2016). Bacterial Contamination of Pork Carcasses from Arusha, Tanzania. Global Journal of Advanced Research, 3. 806-817. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308967118_BACTERIAL_CONTAMINATION_OF_PORK_CARCASSES_
FROM_ARUSHA_TANZANIA
Lues, J.F.R., & Van Tonder, I. (2007). The occurrence of indicator bacteria on hands and aprons of food handlers in the delicatessen sections of a retail group. Food Control, 18(4): 326-332.
Lynch, R.A., Elledge, B.L., Griffith, C.C., & Boatright, D.T. (2003). A comparison of food safety knowledge among restaurant managers, by source of training and experience, in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Journal of Environmental Health, 66(2): 9–26.
McIntyre, L., Vallaster, L., Wilcott, L., Henderson, S.B., & Kosatsky, T. Evaluation of food safety knowledge, attitudes and self‐reported hand washing practices in FOODSAFE trained and untrained food handlers in British Columbia. Canada. Food Control, 30(1): 150–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.06.034
Muleme, J., Kankya, C., Ssempebwa, J.C., Mazeri, S., Muwonge, A. (2017). A Framework for integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Knowledge, attitude, and Practice studies: a case study of Pesticide Usage in eastern Uganda. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(5), 318. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00318
Quinn, P.J., Markey, B.K., & Carter, M.E. (2002). Veterinary microbiology and microbial disease.
Salih, S.,Madkhali, A., Al-Hazmi, W., & Al-Khaldy, A., Moafa, T., Al-Gahtani, E., & Al-Muhib, M. (2019). Knowledge, attitude, and practices on over the counter oral analgesics among female students of Jazan University.
Shah, P., Shrestha, R., Mao, Z., Chen, Y., Chen, Y., Koju, P., Liu, X., & Li, H. (2019). Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Associated with Antibiotic Use among University Students: A Survey in Nepal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(20), 3996. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203996
Tenaillon, O., Skurnik, D., Picard,B., & Denamur, E.
(2010). The population genetics of commensal Escherichia coli. Nat. Rev. Microbiol., 8, 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2298.https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2298#citeas
Waters, A.E., Contente-Cuomo, T., Buchhagen, J., Liu, C.M., Watson, L., Pearce, K., Foster, J.T., Bowers, J., Driebe, E.M., Engelthaler, D.M., Keim, P.S., & Price, L.B. (2011). Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in US Meat and Poultry. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 52 (10), 1227–1230. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cir181
Worsfold, D. (1995). Recipe for food safety. Nutrition and Food Science, 96(6):22-25.
You, S., & Han, W. (2020). Approaching knowledge, attitudes, and practices model for elderly with dementia who are suspected to have hearing impairment in Korea. Journal of Audiology & Otology, 24(1), 40.