Comparison of Bacterial and Chemical Contamination, Cholesterol and Triglyceride Parameters Between Local and Imported Red Meat in Tikrit City Markets

Abstract This study was carried out in the Food Processing Laboratory, Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture, University of Tikrit, between September 2024 and February 2025. The primary objective was to assess the chemical and microbiological quality of imported frozen red meat in comparison with locally sourced meat available in Iraqi markets. Five meat types were evaluated: local lamb, Australian lamb, local veal, Indian veal, and Brazilian veal. Microbial analysis showed elevated bacterial loads in imported meats, notably in Australian lamb (7.1390 CFU/g) and Brazilian veal (6.1900 CFU/g), while no microbial indicators were detected in the local meat samples. Concerning heavy metal content, the highest zinc level was found in Brazilian veal (92.604 mg/kg), lead in local veal (0.27160 mg/kg), cadmium in both Indian and local veal (0.19500 mg/kg), and copper in Australian lamb (9.29550 mg/kg). In terms of lipid profile, Australian lamb exhibited the highest cholesterol content (87.815 mg/100 g), followed by Brazilian veal (87.080 mg/100 g), and local lamb (83.630 mg/100 g). Triglyceride concentrations peaked in Australian lamb (18.380 mg/100 g), whereas the lowest value was recorded in local veal (8.190 mg/100 g).