Risks assessment of toxic metals in canned meat and chicken

Canned meat and chicken are common and popular protein sources around the world because they constitute low-cost and affordable products. However, canned meat and chicken might become sources of human exposure to chemical residues such as heavy metals. This study aimed to estimate the residual contents of six heavy metals, namely leads (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), aluminium (Al), and tin (Sn) in the samples of canned beef, corned beef, and chicken luncheon. Likewise, estimated daily intakes (EDI), potential health risks, hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI), of the heavy metals associated with the consumption of such products among the Egyptian population, were calculated. Comparing the obtained results with available maximum permissible limits (MPL) of Egyptian and international standards revealed that acceptability rate at 20%, 15%, and 35% in Pb; 40%, 25%, and 45% in Cd; 30%, 25%, and 35% in As; 25%, 20%, and 35% in Hg; 15%, 10%, and 15% in Al of the canned beef, corned beef, and chicken luncheon, respectively. Whereas all samples were accepted according to the MPL of Sn. The calculated HQ and HI for the examined heavy metals based on the daily intakes revealed values of canned beef and chicken luncheon <1.0 indicating the safety of consumer meanwhile, the value was 1.021 for canned corned beef indicating potential human health risks. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the daily intake of canned corned beef.