Cadmium and lead in muscle tissue and organs of broilers, turkeys and spent hens and in mechanically deboned poultry meat.

Cadmium and lead levels have been determined in meat, livers and kidneys of turkeys, in livers and kidneys of spent hens, in kidneys of broilers and in mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDPM), by dry ashing of the sample with Mg(NO3)2 followed by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric analysis. The possible age-dependent cadmium and lead accumulation in livers and kidneys of turkeys was also studied. The cadmium concentrations in meat and organs of poultry are in good agreement with data reported for other countries, but lead concentrations were low compared with most data reported in the literature. The cadmium levels in kidneys and livers of turkeys increased with age, whilst the lead concentrations were unrelated to age. The cadmium and lead concentrations in industrially prepared MDPM from broiler carcasses were very low (less than 0.001-0.004 mg/kg and less than 0.01-0.06 mg/kg, respectively). In MDPM prepared from backs (including the kidneys) and necks, elevated cadmium concentrations were found. The increase was related to the cadmium concentrations in the kidneys. In MDPM prepared from broilers, turkeys and spent hens the cadmium concentrations varied between 0.001 and 0.002 mg/kg, 0.005 and 0.006 mg/kg and 0.007 and 0.028 mg/kg, respectively. For lead the concentrations in meat and MDPM were similar. It can be concluded from the results that in MDPM prepared from spent hens and possibly turkeys, when incorporating the kidneys, cadmium concentrations greater than 0.05 mg/kg, (the legal limit for cadmium in poultry meat in The Netherlands) may occur.