Michela Maria Dimuccio, Edmondo Ceci, Elisabetta Bonerba, Francesco Emanuele Celentano, Pasquale De Marzo, Rosa Leone, Stefano Sportelli, Giancarlo Bozzo
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate cadmium (Cd) concentrations in horses imported from various European Union countries and slaughtered in Italy. In addition, we assessed the potential correlation between Cd levels in tissues and organs, and Cd-related gross and histological lesions. The animals were divided into six groups based on age and geographical origin. Among the 430 animals examined, gross renal lesions were observed in only two kidney samples from Polish horses, which also had the highest Cd concentrations: 9.1 mg/kg w/w and 8.23 mg/kg w/w, respectively. Further histological alterations were identified in the same group, in 19 kidney samples with Cd concentrations exceeding 5.72 mg/kg w/w. These findings raise important food safety concerns, as Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 and its subsequent amendments establish strict maximum limits for Cd in horse meat and offal. Considering the EU precautionary principle, the results of this study underscore that only the integration of chemical analyses with histological examinations can provide a comprehensive assessment of the risks, ensuring compliance with EU food safety legislation and international trade standards.
期刊介绍:
The journal was created as the Croce Azzurra in 1950.
A quarterly peer-reviewed journal devoted to veterinary public health and other aspects of veterinary science and medicine, Veterinaria Italiana is published by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’ (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell''Abruzzo e del Molise) in Teramo, Italy.
The goal of the journal is to provide an international platform for veterinary public health information from Italy and other countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe and Africa, Asia and South America. Veterinarians and veterinary public health specialists are encouraged to share their knowledge and experience on this platform.