Determination of Chemical Contaminates of Meat and Meat Products which Threaten Human Health

Abstract

The top priorities, which concern meat and meat products consumption today, are food safety issues and meat quality. Humans around the world are exposed to chemical contaminants during their life time. Among the thousands of existing contaminates, some are persistent and remain in the environment for years. The variation in measurable levels depends mainly on the fact that some are synthesized as industrial products, whereas others are released accidentally, as by-products, or given to animals as growth promoters or as prophylactic or therapeutic agents. The measurement of these contaminants requires a complex and tedious procedure including sample extraction, sample clean-up, and physicochemical analysis after chromatographic separation. Contaminants such as organochlorine pesticides, heavy metals, microbes, melamine, hormones, antibiotic, and other feed additives are often measured in various types of matrices during food safety programs, environmental monitoring, and epidemiological studies. Serious health problems including cancer, kidney diseases, disarray and other diseases in humans might be related to food contaminates. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.8 million people died from diarrhea related diseases in 2005. Children and developing fetuses are generally at greater risk from exposure to different chemicals. A great number of these cases might be attributed to contaminate found on food. More than 90% of human exposure to harmful materials is due to consumption of contaminated food items such as meat, milk and dairy products, as well as fish and derived products. The overwhelming majority of food poisoning in the world might originate from contaminated animal products and there are millions of cases, and hundreds of deaths, caused by contaminated animal products every year. This paper will discuss and highlight the most common chemical and biological contaminates in meat and meat products from various species which threaten human health.