{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T09:43:58Z","timestamp":1776246238118,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776211200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich, England"},{"name":"ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Regional Program"},{"name":"CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Since agriculture sustains most Cambodian households, food safety in the aquaculture and poultry sectors is a public health priority. This study investigates food safety practices and compliance with legal provisions through interviews with 20 participants across four provinces (Battambang, Siem Reap, Kampong Speu, and Takeo). The findings revealed critical deficiencies in hygiene, veterinary medical product management, and traceability. In addition to a detailed qualitative thematic analysis, Structural Equation Modelling identified veterinary drug control (\u03b2 = 0.670, p &lt; 0.001) and hygiene practices (\u03b2 = 0.395, p &lt; 0.001) as significant predictors of farm safety. While knowledge positively correlates with these practices, operational challenges negatively impact compliance (\u03b2 = \u22120.466 and \u22120.497, p &lt; 0.005). Notably, fish farmers reported using human medications (e.g., paracetamol) and often neglecting withdrawal periods due to limited VMP access and insufficient knowhow. While acknowledging the pilot-scale sample size, the findings of our modelling complement our qualitative analysis and provide a foundational model for future research. These findings suggest that farmer knowledge and systemic barriers are the primary drivers of food safety outcomes. The study highlights the urgent need for targeted training in good practices and responsible VMP use. Future research should explore scalable interventions to enhance regulatory compliance among smallholder farmers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci13040380","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T08:11:18Z","timestamp":1776240678000},"page":"380","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Food Safety Implementation and Associated Challenges: Insights from Cambodia\u2019s Pangasius Fish and Chicken Farms"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Shwe Phue","family":"San","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Medway, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Linda","family":"Nicolaides","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Medway, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0522-7808","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sinh","family":"Dang-Xuan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Hanoi 1000100, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Delia","family":"Grace","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Medway, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK"},{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Hanoi 1000100, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8490-4545","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephen","family":"Young","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Medway, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1067-9953","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kuok","family":"Fidero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Meanchey University, Sisophon 10101, Cambodia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chhoun","family":"Chamnan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries Administration, No.186, Preah Norodom Blvd (42), Phnom Penh 12302, Cambodia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8053-0989","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tumnoon","family":"Charaslertrangsi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Science Division, Mahidol University International College, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ra","family":"Thorng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CAPFish CAPTURE Project Office, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh 120101, Cambodia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Leab","family":"Kong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CAPFish CAPTURE Project Office, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh 120101, Cambodia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3063-6398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rortana","family":"Chea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Animal Health and Production Research Institute, General Directorate of Animal Health and Production, Phnom Penh 120603, Cambodia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Nhem, S. 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