Sensory Attributes and Toxicological Risk Assessment of Suya Meat Packaged in Various Materials under Ambient Storage Conditions

Abstract

Suya meat, a widely consumed Nigerian street food, presents significant food safety challenges during ambient-temperature storage, particularly with respect to organoleptic deterioration and chemical contamination from packaging materials. This study evaluated the sensory attributes and toxicological implications of suya stored at 25°C in four packaging materials cellophane film (CF), aluminium foil (AF), glass jar (GJ), and newspaper (NP) with the objectives of characterising sensory quality trajectories and estimating the non-carcinogenic health risk associated with heavy metal exposure from consumed suya. Sensory evaluation by a trained 10–15-member panel using a 9-point hedonic scale revealed CF samples to have the highest fresh overall acceptability (7.75 ± 0.79), with all packaging types declining below the marginal acceptance threshold (≤ 5.0) by day 7. Heavy metal analysis by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) showed all samples compliant with Codex Alimentarius limits for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). However, the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for Pb was highest in NP samples (THQ = 0.18; Hazard Index HI = 0.18; classified as Elevated Risk) and zero in CF samples (HI = 0.00; Safe). The ash content increase of 135% in NP samples over 14 days provided corroborating field evidence of chemical migration. These findings collectively identify NP as a food-contact material of serious public health concern, while CF is recommended as the preferred packaging option based on both sensory and toxicological performance profiles.