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To celebrate the 6th anniversary of Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CVAS), the organization conducted a series of public awareness activities themed “Food Safety for the Welfare of Our Nation”. These events are also made in preparation for Eid al-Adha 1432H, where many people buy animals to be sacrificed, conduct their own slaughtering, and consume the meat and offal of the animals. The public awareness activities aim to increase public knowledge on how to identify healthy animals, manage sacrificial meat and offal, and choose and process all meat in general. Three main targets are the general public, mosque administrators, and housewives. Public awareness was given through the radio, direct meetings, handing out leaflets in markets, and examination of sacrificial animals.

Public education through the radio facilitated by RRI Pro 1 FM (93.75 FM) on Monday, October 31, 2011. Speakers of the session were Erianto Nugroho, DVM from CIVAS and R. Bambang Arif MW, DVM, MM from the Agriculture Service Office of Bogor City. Through this broadcast, CIVAS gave advises on how to select good and healthy sacrificial animals using simple examination procedures to assess the general health condition of the animals. Several points on animal diseases were also discussed during the broadcast.
Besides the general public, CIVAS in collaboration with the Livestock and Fishery Service Office of Bogor district and LPPOM MUI also gave special training to mosque administrators and village officers from all villages in Kemang subdistrict to ensure sacrificial animal handling-slaughter and meat and offal management is conducted according to good health and animal welfare practices. The training was held on Thursday, November 3, 2011 in the office of Kemang subdistrict, Bogor district. Speakers invited were Andri Jatikusumah DVM, MSc from CIVAS, Hardi Hendriwan, DVM from the Livestock and Fishery Service Office of Bogor district, and H. Romli Eko Wahyudi, BSVM, MSi from LPPOM MUI of Bogor district. The training was attended by 36 participants. Posters “Choosing Sacrificial Animals” and “Slaughtering Sacrificial Animals and Meat Management” were given to each participant to be displayed in their corresponding mosque and village office.

Housewives were educated on how to choose meat and good meat handling practices. The first session was given on Friday, November 4, 2011 to 24 housewives involved in the Family Engagement and Welfare (PKK) movement from the whole of Atang Sanjaya administrative village, Kemang subdistrict, Bogor district. A second session was held, per request from the neighborhood, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, for 37 housewives from RT 02 RW 05 Atang Sanjaya administrative village. The education material was given by Nofita Nurbiyanti, BSVM and Riana A. Arief, DVM. Participants were also given “Good Meat Handling and Processing Practices” leaflets from CIVAS and “CARE ASUH: Care for Safe, Health, Wholesome, and Halal Animal Food Products” leaflets from the Livestock and Fishery Service Office of Bogor district. The “Good Meat Handling and Processing Practices” leaflets from CIVAS was also handed out to visitors, particularly housewives, shopping in 3 main markets in Bogor city, which were Bogor Market, Anyar Market, and Warung Jambu Market, on Friday, November 4, 2011. With these events, the public is expected to know how to handle and process meat properly.

Lastly, on Sunday, November 6, 2011, representatives from CIVAS, Sunandar, DVM and Riana A. Arief, DVM conducted ante-mortem and post-mortem examinations on animals sacrificed at Nurul Yaqin Mosque in RT 02 RW 05 Atang Sanjaya administrative village, Kemang subdistrict, Bogor district. CIVAS also facilitated the use of disposable gloves and aprons to improve the hygiene and sanitation of meat handlers. This year’s Eid al-Adha sacrificed 1 bull, 2 goats, and 18 sheep. (rie)