Figure 1. Study sites in Hung Yen and Nghe An provinces, Vietnam
Figure 2. Wet market types in Vietnam selling pork to consumers: Central
market (A), Commune market (B) and Roadside vendor (C)
Contact : Sinh Dang-Xuan, DVM., MVPH
● Email: dxs@hsph.edu.vn ● Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, Hanoi School of Public
Health, 138 Giang Vo, Hanoi, Vietnam ● Mob: +84 969 813 048 ● Web: cenpher.hsph.edu.vn
Face-to face interview
• Purchasing and storing fresh pork
• Preparing, cooking boiled pork
and pork consumption
- Hung Yen, n = 208 households
- Nghe An, n = 208 households
Pork purchasing and storage practices
Figure 3. Frequency of purchasing pork of consumer in each market type (%)
Table 1. Pork purchasing and storage practices of consumers
This research is part of the PigRISK project: “Reducing disease risks and
improving food safety in smallholder pig value chains in Vietnam” funded by
the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the
CGIAR Research Program Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH).
Assessment of Vietnamese consumers’ pork handling
and eating practices
Sinh Dang-Xuan1, Phuc Pham Duc1, Fred Unger2, Kohei Makita3, Ngan Tran Thi1, Hung Pham Van4, Delia Grace2, Hung Nguyen Viet2
1Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, Hanoi School of Public Health, Vietnam; 2International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Vietnam and Kenya;
3Rakuno Gakuen University, Japan; 4 Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam
138 Giang Vo Str - Ba Dinh - Hanoi www.hsph.edu.vn
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
RESULTS
CONCLUSIONS
• Appropriate hygienic practices (storage of fresh pork, separation of kitchen
utensils, cleaning/washing) at households are required to reduce microbial
cross-contamination to cooked pork via preparation and handling.
• Findings are crucial for health risk exposure assessment related to pork or pork
products and more effective risk communication programs targeting
Vietnamese pork consumers.
17.6
74.9
2.7
8.7 7.7
2.2
6.7
2.5 0.7
67
14.9
94.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
Central Commune Vendor
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
Information Hung Yen Nghe An Overall
Pork purchasing (mean (min-max))
Time of purchasing (o’clock) 7.1 (4.5 – 11.5) 7.5 (4.5 – 11) 7.3 (4.5-11.5)
Distance from home to market (km) 0.4 (0-3) 0.5 (0-4) 0.45 (0-4)
Amount of pork purchased (kg/time) 0.4 (0.1-9.5) 0.5 (0.1-6) 0.5 (0.1-9.5)
Frequency of pork purchased (time/week) 3.2 (0-7) 2.5 (0-7) 2.8 (0-7)
Storage condition of fresh pork
At room (ambience) temperature (%) 44.4 64.7 54.6
In refrigerator (< 4oC) (%) 52.2 32.9 41.8
Cooking directly after purchasing (%) 3.4 0.5 1.9
Storage duration at room temp (hour) 0.5 (0-4) 0.8 (0-4.5) 0.6 (0-4.5)
Storage duration in refrigerator (hour) 2.5 (0-6) 2.7 (0-24) 2.5 (0-24)
Pork preparation, cooking and consumption
0 20 40 60 80 100
Wash hands before preparing pork/other
food
Wash hands after cooking pork/other food
Wash hands before eating
Use the same knife for both raw and cooked
pork
Use the same cutting board for both raw and
cooked pork
Hung Yen Nghe An Overall
Figure 4. Washing hand, using knife and cutting board during cooking (%)
Table 2. Pork preparation and consumption at households
Information Hung Yen Nghe An Overall
Process fresh pork before cooking (%)
Wash fresh pork with water 22.2 54.7 37.6
Wash with salted water/ozone machine 15.8 16.9 16.2
Wash by using hot water 62.0 28.4 46.2
Frequency of pork consumption (meal/week)
Children (2-5 years old) 4.4 4.5 4.4
Adolescent (6-18 years old) 5.7 4.5 5.1
Female adult (19-60 years old) 5.1 4.7 4.9
Male adult (19-60 years old) 5.3 4.4 4.9
Elder (over 60 years old) 5.0 4.4 4.8
Amount of pork consumption (Mean (95%CI))
Pork consumption (kg/person/week) 0.36 (0.32-0.4) 0.34 (0.29-0.39) 0.35 (0.32-0.38)
A B C
Consuming poultry and pork products can be a potential source of harmful
pathogens leading to human foodborne illnesses (e.g. salmonellosis or
campylobacteriosis) worldwide. In Vietnam, pork is one of the most popular
animal food sources in households. Pork accounts for 56% of the total meat
consumption in Vietnam and consumption is recorded at 29.1 kg per capital
per year (in 2015). Moreover, pork preparation and handling would pose a
major risk due to possible cross-contamination. This study aims to assess
the pork purchasing, storing, handling, and consumption practices at
households and their implication on food safety and prevention of pork-
borne illness.
Focus group discussion (FGD)
• Pork purchasing practice
• Boiled pork consumption
- Hung Yen, 3 FGDs
- Nghe An, 3 FGDs