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Assessment of Lead and Zinc Contamination in Commercial Sausages with Different Meat Content in Iran
Saeid Vahedi1 
, Zohre Farahmandkia2 , Hassan Hassanzadazar3 , Fatemeh Masaebi4 , Mohammad Reza Mehrasbi *2
, Zohre Farahmandkia2 , Hassan Hassanzadazar3 , Fatemeh Masaebi4 , Mohammad Reza Mehrasbi *2
1- Student Research Committee, Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
2- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
3- Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
4- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
2- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
3- Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
4- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health and Metabolic Diseases Research Institute, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Abstract: (507 Views)
Background: Lead and zinc are heavy metals of concern due to their potential adverse health effects. Human exposure through the consumption of contaminated food products has increasingly raised public health concerns. This study, conducted in 2025, aimed to assess the concentrations of lead and zinc in various types of sausages available in the Iranian market, considering different commercial brands and meat contents.
Methods: A total of 99 sausage samples were collected from retail outlets across Iran, representing 11 popular brands with varying meat percentages. Lead and zinc concentrations of were determined using acid digestion followed by Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) values were 0.07 mg/kg and 0.24 mg/kg for lead, and 0.0008 mg/kg and 0.0027 mg/kg for zinc, respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess significant differences in mean heavy metal concentrations among brands and meat content categories.
Results: The mean concentrations of lead and zinc in the analyzed samples were 28.39 ± 19.00 µg/kg and 11.69 ± 5.04 mg/kg, respectively. Lead concentrations ranged from 0.10 µg/kg to 81.85 µg/kg, while zinc concentrations varied from 0.01 mg/kg to 25.11 mg/kg. Zinc levels increased significantly in sausages containing 80% meat or more, whereas lead levels showed no significant variation with meat percentage (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: According to Codex Alimentarius (CXS 193-1995), all analyzed samples contained lead and zinc levels below the maximum permissible limits (100 µg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively). These findings provide useful information on the safety and quality of sausage products in the Iranian market and may contribute to improved food safety monitoring and public health protection.
Methods: A total of 99 sausage samples were collected from retail outlets across Iran, representing 11 popular brands with varying meat percentages. Lead and zinc concentrations of were determined using acid digestion followed by Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) values were 0.07 mg/kg and 0.24 mg/kg for lead, and 0.0008 mg/kg and 0.0027 mg/kg for zinc, respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess significant differences in mean heavy metal concentrations among brands and meat content categories.
Results: The mean concentrations of lead and zinc in the analyzed samples were 28.39 ± 19.00 µg/kg and 11.69 ± 5.04 mg/kg, respectively. Lead concentrations ranged from 0.10 µg/kg to 81.85 µg/kg, while zinc concentrations varied from 0.01 mg/kg to 25.11 mg/kg. Zinc levels increased significantly in sausages containing 80% meat or more, whereas lead levels showed no significant variation with meat percentage (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: According to Codex Alimentarius (CXS 193-1995), all analyzed samples contained lead and zinc levels below the maximum permissible limits (100 µg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively). These findings provide useful information on the safety and quality of sausage products in the Iranian market and may contribute to improved food safety monitoring and public health protection.
Keywords: Food safety, Heavy metals, Meat products, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, Iran
Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
Food Safety and Hygiene
Received: 2026/02/25 | Accepted: 2026/04/29
Received: 2026/02/25 | Accepted: 2026/04/29
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