Evaluation of Meat Safety Compliance in Hotels and Restaurants in Abuja, FCT

Hotels and restaurants in Nigeria's capital serve diverse populations including diplomats, tourists, and civil servants, making food safety compliance in these establishments a matter of national public health priority. This study evaluated meat safety compliance in hotels and restaurants in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. A cross-sectional study examined 40 registered food service establishments classified by category across three area councils. Structured hygiene audits assessed procurement standards, cold chain practices, cook temperature monitoring, staff training documentation, and pest control systems. Microbiological sampling of 80 ready-to-eat meat products was conducted. Compliance scores were calculated as percentages of criteria met. Mean compliance was 58.6% overall, with budget hotels and small restaurants scoring significantly lower than star-rated hotels. Microbiological analysis found Staphylococcus aureus exceeding limits in 27.5% of samples and Listeria monocytogenes in 11.3% of samples. Cold storage temperature violations were documented in 45% of establishments. Only 30% of food handlers had received any formal food hygiene training. The study recommends mandatory food handler certification programs, stricter registration requirements for food establishments, routine government sampling inspections, and development of a publicly accessible restaurant hygiene rating system to incentivize compliance in Abuja. Keywords: meat safety, restaurant compliance, food hygiene, Abuja, food service