Food Safety
Goodchance Revingstone Mboya; Davis Naboth Chaula; Beatrice Mgaya Kilima
Abstract
In rural communities, free-range chickens are vital for food and income, however, they risk contamination from radioactive elements in polluted feed, water, and soil, which can taint chicken meat and eggs. This study was conducted to assess the level of public awareness of radiological health risks associated ...
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In rural communities, free-range chickens are vital for food and income, however, they risk contamination from radioactive elements in polluted feed, water, and soil, which can taint chicken meat and eggs. This study was conducted to assess the level of public awareness of radiological health risks associated with the consumption of free-range chicken in the Bahi district. A standardized questionnaire was administered to 341 inhabitants of four villages and analyzed statistically using SPSS version 27. Approximately 44.3% of respondents were aware of radionuclide contamination in free-range chicken, and 67.1% recognized cancer as a health risk. Awareness of other health impacts, such as birth defects (3.2%) and organ damage (9.7%), was low. Approximately 57.5% of the respondents identified soil as the primary source of radioactive contamination in the area. There was a startlingly low level of knowledge regarding testing facilities and local authority interventions (10.3% and 2.4%, respectively). Consumption frequency and awareness levels were significantly correlated (p < 0.05), with daily consumers demonstrating higher awareness and willingness to pay for certified products than non-daily consumers. The study concludes that while awareness of contamination risk exists, institutional support and practical understanding are lacking in the field. This study recommends targeted food safety education, testing initiatives, and radiological risk outreach.
