BACKGROUND: Meat is one of society's most important nutritional needs, the price of which is higher than other food groups. In recent years, the use of meat products has increased due to human lifestyle changes. Fraud in meat products occurs for various reasons, including the economic value of meat. Therefore, it is crucial to use fast and accurate methods of identifying these frauds.OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine the unauthorized tissue by a histological method as well as to determine the unauthorized species used in meat products of factories in Hamadan province.METHODS: In the summer of 2021, fifty samples were collected from active production units of the Hamedan province that were available in the Hamadan city market and transferred to the laboratory for histological laboratory and animal species determination by PCR test. For the histology test based on the national standard 6103, the samples were subjected to fixation, passage (dehydration, clearing, impregnation with molten paraffin), blocking, sectioning, and H&E staining. PCR method was used to determine the type of animal species used in the production of the collected samples.RESULTS: The results confirmed the presence of unauthorized tissues, including bone, cartilage (articular and respiratory cartilage), skin, and glandular organ in meat products. Also, PCR test results showed that chicken meat was found in 100% of the samples labeled with beef.CONCLUSIONS: The presence of illegal tissue and the use of chicken meat in products labeled as beef meat is evident in the sausages produced in Hamadan province.

Beef, mutton, lamb, and camel are all high-quality protein sources in Egypt and around the world. Red meat with a protein content of about 20%, a high moisture content (75%), fat (5.2%), carbohydrate (1.5%), vitamins such as vitamin B complex, and minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus are important in human nutrition because they can meet a portion of man's daily needs for these nutrients. Low temperature storage of meat either at chilling or freezing conditions is very popular worldwide for the purposes of meat security, meat transportation, and overseas trade. However, the microbial quality of the meat at low temperature storage represents a challenging task for both the food safety and public health sectors.  This review threw the light on the microbial status of chilled and frozen meat with a particular focus on the contamination of meat with Pseudomonas spp.

Meat contamination is a problem that must be addressed since it can affect consumers' health. Standard acceptable limits for heavy metals in meat and organs have been established by many international organizations. Livestock including sheep, cattle, camels, and goats side by side with other poultry species are the most significant sources of meat for protein. Heavy metal contamination in animal products may be harmful to people's health. The earth's crust naturally contains heavy metals, but uncontrolled human activity has significantly changed their geochemical cycles and biological equilibrium. This causes a buildup of metals in animal tissue that contain secondary metabolites, which gives rise to a specific pharmacological action. Humans can have negative health effects from prolonged exposure to heavy metals as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. This review showed that most of the studies conducted in different countries on heavy metals were mostly in red meat, and the research was few in the cases of domesticated birds and very rare in game birds, although it is considered a good example for investigating heavy metals in the environment