Detection of some heavy metals in meat cooked in different utensils

This study, conducted at the laboratories of the Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture - University of Tikrit, aimed to estimate the presence of selected heavy elements (iron, zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, and aluminium) in meat samples cooked using different utensils, including clay pots, iron utensils, copper utensils, aluminium utensils, Tefal/Teflon utensils, and glass/Pyrex utensils. The research was carried out between February 15 and March 20, 2023 ,The results revealed significant variations in metal concentrations among the cooked meat samples. Cooking meat in copper utensils led to a significant increase in iron concentration (0.7 ppm), compared to aluminium utensils (0.5 ppm). Zinc concentration showed a significant increase in meat cooked with aluminium (0.26 ppm) and copper utensils (0.18 ppm). Moreover, cooking meat in copper and Tefal utensils resulted in a significant increase in copper concentration (0.60 ppm and 0.30 ppm, respectively). Cadmium concentration exhibited a significant increase in meat cooked with Tefal (0.4 ppm) and aluminium utensils (0.20 ppm). The concentration of lead was higher in meat samples cooked with iron utensils, while aluminium utensils exhibited a higher concentration of aluminium, These findings highlight the potential influence of different cooking utensils on the presence of heavy metals in cooked meat. Further research and considerations are needed to assess the implications of these findings on food safety and human health.