Determination Of The Presence And Concentration Of Heavy Metal Residues In Ready To Eat Meat Samples In Umudike :- Dick, Gaddiel O

ABSTRACT 1Ready to eat meat and fish samples sold by road side meat vendors were analyzed for the presence of Lead and Cadmium using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Samples processed by different methods such as roasting, frying, boiling and smoking. This study was aimed at investigating the heavy metal contamination of ready to eat meat samples and determining which method of processing contaminated the ready to eat meat samples with heavy metals. It was found that all pork samples were contaminated with lead (Pb) with a mean concentration of 0.233 ± concentration of 0.065 ± 0.049 mgkg'1). The study also revealed that samples processed by frying (0.053 ± 0.030 mgkg'1) and smoking (0.064 ± 0.009mgkg-1) had more Cd but Pb was boiled before smoking (0.233 ± 0.043mgkg’’). The presence ol heavy metals in pork, fish, fried and boiled then smoked samples exceeded the maximum permissible level given by WHO. The differences in the concentration of Pb and Cd in the different ready to eat meat sampled were statistically significant.