Assessment of Foods Safety: Heavy Metal and Microbial Contamination in Husseini Processions in Wasit Province

Abstract

The safety of food and drinks in Hussein processions and their availability to meet the needs of visitors on this major religious occasion is of particular importance because it is one of the most important requirements that accompanies the visitor regardless of his geographical destinations. The study was conducted in the field during the forty models’ period of 2023 in Wasit Province to determine the degree of microbial and metal contamination of the foods and drinks most consumed among visitors in Hussein processions and to provide recommendations for developing the design of nutritional evaluation monitoring. A total of 270 samples were collected randomly from 30 procession from 5 different regions. These samples consisted of 45 water samples, 120 samples of ready-to-eat foods (beef hamburger, falafel, boiled rice, boiled beans), and 105 samples of drinks (yogurt, orange juice, lemon juice and Noomi Basra juice). Some bacterial species were detected in the studied samples, as they were found after culturing the samples on different culture media to investigate microbial contamination. The results showed that the total number of aerobic bacteria (TBC), Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus exceeded the Iraqi standard specifications and international standards for some types of samples studied, while they were free of Salmonella spp. As for investigating metal contamination, lead and cadmium was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometer technology (Model Phoenix-986 AAS). The results showed accumulations of lead and cadmium slightly exceeding the permissible limits locally and internationally. The data derived from this study show that the methods followed by most Hussein procession owners in preparing food are effective and therefore safe to use, but making more effort is better to protect visitors. The microbial and mineral quality of foods and drinks was satisfactory in most of the samples studied. The Iraqi authorities must establish health and preventive guidelines that provide for the safety of visitors and protect them from diseases transmitted through water and food, and cases of food poisoning.