Kamouh et al. 2024 — Lead, cadmium, and copper in Egyptian chicken meat
This Egyptian study measured Pb, Cd, and Cu in 100 chicken samples across four tissue types (breast, thigh, gizzard, liver) collected from commercial poultry slaughterhouses in Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Gharbia governorates using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The study documents a consistent tissue-level gradient: liver > gizzard > thigh > breast for all three metals, reflecting bioaccumulation in metabolically active organs. While most samples fell within Egyptian Organization for Standardization (EOS) limits, the authors noted that contamination levels were notable enough to warrant public health attention, particularly given the cumulative dietary exposure from regular chicken consumption. A secondary component of the study investigated whether Lactobacillus rhamnosus probiotic application could reduce metal loads in experimentally contaminated chicken fillets.
Key numbers
Lead (Pb, mg/kg wet weight): breast 0.27 ± 0.01, thigh 0.34 ± 0.01, gizzard 0.55 ± 0.01, liver 0.61 ± 0.02. Cadmium (Cd, mg/kg wet weight): breast 0.09 ± 0.01, thigh 0.12 ± 0.01, gizzard 0.18 ± 0.01, liver 0.25 ± 0.01. Copper (Cu, mg/kg wet weight): breast 1.53 ± 0.14, thigh 1.69 ± 0.16, gizzard 2.05 ± 0.17, liver 2.71 ± 0.22.
All values are wet weight. Analytical method: flame AAS. Sample digestion: 1 g tissue in 10 mL HNO3/HClO4. Egyptian permissible limits cited but exact values not reproduced in the excerpt; authors state “majority of samples within acceptable limits.”
The tissue gradient (liver > gizzard > muscle) is consistent with known cadmium and lead bioaccumulation patterns in poultry reported in international literature; liver and gizzard are routinely consumed as offal in Egypt and other North African/Middle Eastern markets, elevating dietary exposure estimates above those from muscle cuts alone.
Methods (brief)
Sampling: random selection from commercial slaughterhouses, Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Gharbia. Sample preparation: maceration and acid digestion. Detection: flame AAS. Units: mg/kg wet weight. Secondary experiment (probiotic decontamination): chicken fillets experimentally spiked with metals, then treated with L. rhamnosus strains; results show modest but statistically significant reduction in surface metal loads. The decontamination experiment does not affect the occurrence data.
Limitation: two governorates only; likely reflects peri-urban and rural poultry sector conditions in the Nile Delta region rather than representing all Egyptian chicken supply.
Implications
Certification: Organ meat (liver, gizzard) from Egyptian-origin poultry shows Pb and Cd values elevated relative to muscle cuts; supply chains incorporating poultry offal should treat Egyptian origins as elevated-risk. For breast and thigh muscle, levels are lower but still warrant monitoring.
Courses: Demonstrates the organ-concentration gradient as a teaching case for bioaccumulation; relevant to supply-chain modules covering how to assess risk across different tissue types from the same animal.
App: Should distinguish between poultry muscle and poultry organ (liver, gizzard) in ingredient mapping; organ meats warrant a separate higher-contamination risk tier.
Microbiome: Not applicable directly, but the Pb and Cd levels at the concentrations reported here are within ranges that could affect gut microbiome composition upon chronic dietary exposure.