Meatsafe Food Storage and Diarrhea Prevention Trial in Urban Bangladesh

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether a simple household food storage cabinet called a "meatsafe" could reduce bacterial contamination of complementary foods and decrease diarrhea among children aged 6 to 24 months living in low-income settlements of Dhaka, Bangladesh.The study compared households that received a meatsafe and one-time food storage education with households that continued their usual practices. Participating caregivers completed surveys; provided stored food samples for microbiological testing; answered questions about recent child illness; and took part in spot checks of household hygiene and meatsafe use. The trial generated evidence on whether a low-cost and practical tool could help keep children's food safer and reduce diarrheal disease in settings without reliable refrigeration.