Residual Levels of Toxic Metals and Estimation of their Dietary Intakes, and Non-Carcinogenic Risks Associated with the Consumption of Meat and Edible Offal of Camel in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Camel meat and edible offal are regarded as exotic meats around the world. However, such meat kinds are regarded as emerging meat sources rich in animal-derived protein in particular countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Camel meat and offal supplies humans with part of their needs from essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Toxic metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) are of no-known physiological importance. The objectives of the present study were to quantitatively estimate the residual levels of Pb, Cd, As, and Hg in camel meat and edible offal including round, liver, kidney, and tongue in samples collected from Zagazig slaughterhouse, Egypt and Al-Ahsa slaughterhouse, Saudi Arabia. Dietary intakes and potential health risks associated with the consumption of camel meat and edible offal among Saudi and Egyptian populations were additionally calculated in a comparative way. The obtained results indicated that edible offal including liver, kidney and tongue had higher levels of the tested metals compared with the muscle. Samples collected from Egypt had significantly (p< 0.05) higher metal residues than that collected from Saudi Arabia. Cadmium content exceeded the established maximum permissible limits (MPL) in 65%, 20%, and 70% of liver, kidney, and tongue samples collected from Egypt, while only 35%, and 20% of the Saudi liver and kidney samples exceeded MPL. Arsenic residue levels exceeded MPL in 50%, 50%, and 25% of the Egyptian liver, kidney, and tongue samples. None of the examined samples exceeded MPL for Pb, and Hg. Calculation of the hazard ratio (HR), and hazard index (HI) for Egyptian and Saudi adults and children indicated that HI was higher than one for Egyptian children consuming liver, kidney, and tongues of the camel. Therefore, it is highly recommended to reduce the daily consumption of such offal samples, particularly among children in Egypt.