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Smuggled Poultry Products Are Laced With Staphylococcus, Toxic Metals, Says Tewe

By Joseph Okoghenun
10 July 2015   |   11:23 pm
Prof. Olumide Tewe, a professor of monogastric nutrition and toxicology at the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan (UI) is the lead researcher whose team recently made public the dangers of import (smuggled) poultry meat to public health in Nigeria. In this interview, the nutritional toxicologist shed more light on the health implications of…
Tewe

Tewe

Prof. Olumide Tewe, a professor of monogastric nutrition and toxicology at the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan (UI) is the lead researcher whose team recently made public the dangers of import (smuggled) poultry meat to public health in Nigeria.
In this interview, the nutritional toxicologist shed more light on the health implications of consuming the products.

What prompt your research into smuggled poultry meat?
WE were prompted to conduct research on smuggled poultry products as a result of the way and manner these products come into the country. The method of transporting and handling these poultry products was a major source of concern.

How was the research carried out?
A statewide assessment of frozen poultry meat was conducted to determine the current state of sold frozen poultry meat in the country and compare the microbial status of imported (smuggled) frozen poultry carcasses with locally processed exotic chickens. Samples of these poultry products were collected from local and selected supermarkets in Ibadan, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. These samples were carefully transported in ice pack to maintain the cold chain. They were then investigated for proximate composition, organoleptic properties and levels of selected heavy metals and microbial loads.

The research was carried out in three stages. Survey study: This involved the use of questionnaires in Lagos and Oyo States. Sample collection: Imported (smuggled) frozen poultry carcasses were obtained from wholesalers and retailers in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Samples analysis: Samples were analysed for heavy metals, microbial status and meat quality. The team of researchers include myself as the lead researcher and other co-researchers like Prof. S.S. Abiola (meat technologist), Dr. O. A Abu (nutritional enzymologist), Dr. C.I. Alarima (Agric. Extensionist), Dr. (Mrs) O. A. Olabisi (Public Health Specialist), Mr. S, Adelani (Ag – Chief Technologist) and Mr. R. A. Aromoye (Animal Nutritionist).

What did your team discover in the course of the research?
The summary of findings was categorized into four different studies, which are as follows: Chicken and turkey are the mostly consumed and sold poultry products.

Average monthly quantity of chicken consumed are 0.54 kilogram (kg), 1.58kg, 2.35 kg, 0.34 kg, 0.18 kg, 0.04 kg and 0.05 kg for whole chicken, chicken wings, laps, breast, gizzard and liver respectively; monthly quantity of turkey consumed by the consumers are also 1.83 kg, 1.42 kg, 0.15 kg, 0.13 kg, 0.04 kg, and 0.05 for whole turkey, turkey wings, laps, chest, and gizzard respectively; About 84 percent of the total poultry meat sold is imported/smuggled.

About 55 per cent of the respondents affirmed that chicken and turkey meat sold by retailers wholesalers are smuggled into Nigeria markets; about 74 per cent of the consumers are not willing to change to the consumption of locally produced poultry meat because they are cheaper and readily available.

In the toxicology study, cadmium and lead were detected in imported poultry meat; mercury deposition was not detected in both local and imported poultry products;formalin level in imported poultry meat ranged from 42.9 to 63.3 ml/kg.However,formalin was not detected in locally produced poultry products.

In the microbial study,salmonella servilla, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa,staphylococcus aereous,enterobacter aureus, micrococcus variants were probable organisms isolated in all the imported samples.Locally produced poultry carcasses were free from salmonella servilla, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, staphylococcus aereous. Total microbial load reported in imported poultry meat ranged from 4 – 46.33×104 cfu/g, while local poultry ranged from 0.25-3.75×104 cfu/g.

In meat quality assessment, organoleptic properties indicated the superiority of local chicken meat in terms of colour and juiciness. Both imported and locally produced poultry products were acceptable to consumers

Explain in detail the health implications of consuming smuggled poultry meat?
The imported poultry products are often poorly handled and hence are easily contaminated by harmful microbes (e.g. salmonella typhi, escherichia coli) that may negatively affect human health when these deleterious microbes get into the food chain. The cold chain is often disrupted before the products get to the final consumers. Though, heavy metals presence in the smuggled meat were lower than the tolerable limit as indicated in the research compared with European Union standard, bioaccumulation over time could portend serious health challenge. Once these toxic metals accumulate in animals, to decontaminate or excrete can be difficult. It is true that the level of mercury reported is low and for other non-detectable, but a prolonged consumption may lead to health changes. These heavy metals are deposited in organs such as liver and kidney.

Mercury (Hg) has been implicated as a cause for severe neurological damage to humans. These health concerns become of greater issue when we consider susceptible populations such as young children or women of childbearing age. Toxic heavy metals are clearly hazardous to humans. Some heavy metals also cause toxicity-related mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

How safe is it to consume locally breed poultry meat in the facing of growing utilization of imported feeds to grow chicken and turkey in Nigeria?
Most of the major feed ingredients are sourced in Nigeria except for some micronutrients. To our knowledge Nigeria does not import complete feeds to grow chicken and turkey. At some time Nigeria allowed importation of soya bean and maize to meet deficit.
If locally bred poultry meat is safe, do you think that the local market has the capacity to meet demand for it?

Locally produced chicken may not be safe if poorly handled. Nigeria poultry industry has the potential to fill the short fall, but many poultry farmers have been thrown out of business because they cannot stand the competition.

What factors you think are responsible for smuggling of poultry meat in Nigeria?
Our borders are porous and smuggling seems to be a thriving business in Nigeria. Enforcement of laws against smuggling is somewhat difficult.

How do you think Nigeria can kill the appetite for the demand of smuggled poultry meat?
Nigerians eat chicken a lot. It is therefore important to encourage local production, which currently has a short fall of about 75 per cent of needed poultry meat.

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