Abstract:
Background and Objective: Imported chicken meat is smuggled into the country through the porous borders of Idiroko road which leads
into Ota, Ogun State and sold to retailers in the open market. This study was carried out to assess and compare the nutritional composition
and safety profile of the imported frozen, exotic commercial and indigenous chicken meats consumed in Ota metropolis.
Materials and Methods: A total of 21 chicken meat samples were used for the study. Group 1, 2 and 3 comprise of seven samples each
of imported frozen, exotic commercial and local chicken meat, respectively. The samples were digested and nutritional composition
assessed by determination of proximate composition and essential elemental analysis. The safety profile was determined by quantification
of levels of heavy metals (cadmium, lead and chromium), malondialdehyde and lipid profile of the chicken meats. Data analysis was done
using SPSS version 15.0. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The proximate composition revealed significantly higher
(p<0.05) levels of food nutrients in groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1. Similarly, the elemental analysis showed that groups 2 and 3
had significantly higher (p<0.05) levels of the elements and their concentration is within permissible limits compared to group 1 with
significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of heavy metals such as lead, chromium and cadmium. Furthermore, the lipid profile analysis revealed
significant increase (p<0.05) in levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride and total cholesterol in the group 1
samples while group 3 has significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-C). Malondialdehyde levels
were also significantly higher in the group 1 samples compared to groups 2 and 3. Conclusion: The local and exotic commercial chicken
meat are more nutritious and safer for consumption compared to the imported chicken meats sold in Ota, Ogun state.
