Evaluation of Heavy Metal Content in Feed, Litter, Meat, Meat Products, Liver, and Table Eggs of Chickens

We assessed the concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Ni in chicken meat and meat products, feed, and litter, as well as laying hens’ eggs, feed and litter to monitor the quality of products on the market and their safety for human consumption as judged by recommended daily allowance (RDA) and tolerable upper levels. Samples were chosen as the most popular poultry products in Saudi Arabia. A total of 45 broiler samples of frozen or fresh meat, liver, burger, or frankfurter were chosen from the same brand. Additionally, 60 table eggs from four commercial brands were collected, and the edible parts of these were used to determine levels of minerals and toxic elements. Furthermore, 30 feed and litter samples were collected from the starter, grower, and layer diets of broilers and laying hens. The results indicated that there were significant levels of most of the trace elements and heavy metals in the different meat sources. Furthermore, the liver contained the highest levels of elements, except for Cr, Co, and Ni. The highest Cr level was detected in the fresh meat, followed by frozen meat. Trace elements (Mn and Co) and heavy metals (Ni and Pb) were not detected in either the frozen or the fresh meat. The chicken burger and the frankfurter exhibited similar trace-element and heavy-metal contents, except for Zn and Mn, as the frankfurter showed higher concentrations than the burger. Differences in most of the trace and toxic elements among the different sources of eggs were not found to be significant, except for Zn. Differences between the broiler meat and table eggs were only substantial for Fe and Zn. Fe was significantly higher in meat than in eggs, and the opposite trend was found for Zn. The liver contained higher heavy metals than the eggs, except for Cr. In addition, the burger had higher concentrations of essential (Cu and Co) and heavy metals (Pb and Ni) than the eggs but had lower levels of Zn and Cr. The frankfurter exhibited significantly higher levels of Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, Pb, and Ni than the eggs but lower levels of Zn and Cr. To summarize, Cd, Pb, As, and Se were not detected in the broiler meat or eggs, indicating no risks from these toxic elements. Conversely, the liver exhibited the highest content of heavy metals, except for Cr, indicating that the intake of Pb and Cd was above the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults. The meat products exhibited higher Pb, Cd, and Ni levels than the broiler meat and the table eggs, suggesting that they posed a health threat to humans, and the intake of Pb in the meat products was higher than the RDA. Thus, chicken meat and table eggs, which are primary protein sources, are safe sources of human nutrition, while liver and meat products may present potential health hazards through the food chain

Evaluation of the broiler meat quality in the retail market: Effects of type and source of carcasses

El objetivo fue documentar la variabilidad en la calidad y contenido de nutrientes de la carne de pollo en el mercado de la ciudad de Jeddah (Arabia Saudita) proveniente de dos tipos de canales de pollos de engorda: congelados y frescos. También hay tres orígenes dentro de cada tipo (A, B, C) y (D, E y F), respectivamente. Estos fueron evaluados usando 45 canales de cada tipo, es decir, 15 canales de cada origen, seleccionadas durante tres meses. Los tipos de carne (congelada o fresca) y los orígenes dentro de cada tipo tuvieron una influencia significativa (P<0.05) en la apariencia y defectos de las canales, incluyendo peso de la piel y características de pechuga y pierna. Además, lascualidades físicas (pH, pérdida por goteo, ligereza y color amarillo) y la composición química (materia seca, proteínacruda, contenido de Ca, P, Na y K) fueron significativamente afectadas por cada tipo de carne y origen dentro de los tipos. La calidad de la carne de pollo en el mercado minorista mostró ser significativamente diferente en cuanto a selección  del  cliente  para  cumplir  con  su  ingesta  diaria  recomendada.  Esta  diferencia  en  la  calidad de  la  carne demostró potencial para impulsar su calidad nutritiva. Esto sugiere que los consumidores de carne pueden aumentar su ingesta de nutrientes a través de ser cuidadosos con sus compras. Además, dicha variación muestra la necesidad de la práctica constante en la cría y producción, en cuanto a la aplicación de normas y aspectos de nuevos controles de calidad. Basándose en el contenido nutricional declarado por las autoridades del mercado, esto puede impactar en el bienestar de los consumidores.The aim of this work was to document the variability in the quality and nutrient content of broiler meat in the retail market of Jeddah city (Saudi Arabia) come from two types of broiler carcasses: frozen and fresh. There are also three sources within each type (A, B, C) and (D, E and F), respectively. These were evaluated using 45 carcasses from each type, i.e. 15 carcasses from each source, collected over three months. The meat types (frozen/fresh) and the sources within each type had a significant influence (P<0.05) on carcasses appearances and defects, including skin weight, andbreast and leg parameters. In addition, physical qualities (pH, drip loss, lightness and yellowness) and chemical composition (dry matter, crude protein, Ca, P, Na and K content) were significantly affected by each type of meat and sources within the types. The quality of broiler meat in the retail market was shown to be significantly different in terms of customer selection  to  fulfil  their  recommended  daily  allowance.  This  difference  in  meat  quality  showed  potential  for  the nutritious quality to be boosted. This suggests that consumers of meat can enhance their nutrient intake through being careful about their shopping. Furthermore, such variation shows the necessity  of constant practice within husbandry and production, in terms of the implementation of regulations and aspects of new quality-controls. Based on the nutritional contents as stated by the market authorities, this may impact on consumers’ wellbein