Scholarly Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 3(6), pp. 210-213, June, 2013 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJAS ISSN 2276-7118 © 2013 Scholarly-Journals Full Length Research Paper Level of heavy metals in fresh and canned foods consumed in North Central Nigeria *Yakubu Ali Dallatu 1 , Stephen Eyije Abechi 1 , Hamza Abba 1 , Usman Shehu Mohammed 2 and Eneyi Comfort Ona 1 1 Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria 2 Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria Accepted 20 May, 2013 Heavy metals level in some selected fresh foods and their canned products were investigated in this work. Samples were collected, digested by standard method and the metal level determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that nickel (Ni) level was generally low (0.0003 to 0.0044 mg/kg) in all foods investigated. There was no significance difference in the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) in fresh and canned foods. However, there was a striking difference in the levels of zinc in the fresh and canned foods. Zinc (Zn) level was found to be generally high, ranging from 0.0526 to 1.5472 mg/kg in canned food and 0.17841 to 6.41113 in the fresh food samples. It was also observed that the Zn concentration in the fresh food samples were about five times the concentration found in the canned food products. Food contamination may therefore, not necessarily be associated with the canning materials. It may however, be linked to the source of the products and other environmental factors. The detected levels of Ni and Cu did not exceed the toxicological reference values established by World Health Organization (WHO). However, Pb and Cd levels are alarming and calls for concern. Pb values ranges from 0.0951 to 0.2852 mg/kg in fresh food samples and ranged between 0.01051 and 0.2852 mg/kg in canned food products while Cd varied from 0.0073 to 0.1919 mg/kg and 0.0091 to 0. 297mg/Kg in fresh food samples and canned products respectively. Key words: Food contamination, food safety, environmental pollution, toxicology, heavy metal poisoning. INTRODUCTION Foods contain a wide range of metallic elements such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), iron (Fe), (Ca) calcium, (Cu) copper and (Zn) zinc. Many of these metals are essential in living organisms. Nevertheless, a considerable number of them are harmful to plants, animals and man even at low concentration. This is particularly true of heavy metals such as mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Toxicological and environmental experts have shown concern for the increasing cases of food contamination with these heavy metals over the years as reported in several literatures (Ray, 1994; Oehlenschlager, 2002; Damek-Poprawa et al., 2003; Yargholi et al., 2008). Canned fish is widely consumed in many parts of the *Corresponding author. E-mail: abeshus@yahoo.com. world because of its low saturated fat and omega fatty acids that support good health (Ikem and Egiebor, 2005). Fish are constantly exposed to chemicals in polluted and contaminated waters. The effects of these heavy metals on human health have also been reported (Munoz-Olivas and Camara, 2001). Canned foods such as sardines, geisha, and tomato paste are packed in tin or steel cans, an air-tight container for distribution, storage or preservation. High levels of metals may be found in canned foods due to corrosion and leaching of the metals from unlacquered cans, or from tin foils used in packaging. These canned containers have a high potential of releasing metals into the foods. The most frequently used form of packaging for canned fishery products is tinplate, fabricated into two and three pieces of cans of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Tinplate consists of a base plate of low-carbon mild steel, onto each surface of which is electrolytically deposited a