Cadmium and lead in goat milk and its potential health risk / Norasmah Zahar

Introduction: Milk and milk products provide a wealth of nutrition benefits. Since milk products are a very important human nutrient since their consumption has increased in recent years. These products are also a good source of calcium and there biodisponibility is high. In recent cases the goat milk wisely use in medical purposes for examples for eliminates jaundice among newborn baby. Goat milk is one of healthiest foods/drinks out on the market today .. Goat milk is better for most people than cow milk simply because it is composed of smaller fat globules which make it easier to digest. This speed of digestion releases more good bacteria and enzymes in the consumer's body, better enabling them to absorb and utilize the nutrients without discomfort, stomach ache, or a variety of other typical milk allergy symptoms.(James Young,2010). Furthermore, in term of milk safety, raw milk is less in heavy metal exposure attributed to manufacturing process. Raw milk obtained from animals reared in rural areas, assumed to have low lead contents but is susceptible to unhygienic conditions of milkman, the containers for transporting and at vender shop (Enb et al., 2009). Toxic heavy metals are persistence, accumulate and not metabolized in other intermediate compounds and do not easily breakdown in the environment. These metals are accumulating in food chain through uptake at primary producer level and then through consumption st consumer level (Raikwar et al., 2008). Objective : To assess the concentration of heavy metals in goat milk and its potential health effects on humans. Methodology: Fourty eight goat milk samples were obtained from the Johor State involved district of Kluang, Simpang Renggam, Kulai Jaya, Skudai, Johor and Pasir G_udang. The milk samples were treated with wet digestion and subjected to Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) for Lead and Cadmium trace. Hazard Index (HI) was also determined. Result: Lead concentration in raw milk can be detected from all samples collected in non-industrial and industrial area. The result analysis show that mean of lead concentration in goat milk collected from non-industrial area and industrial area was 0.588 mg/kg and 0.817 mg/kg respectively. The mean of lead concentration contravened the standards set by Official Monitor of Romania, European Commission and WHO but not contravenes the Malaysian Limit Standard. The analysis shows that the mean of cadmium concentration in goat milk collected from non-industrial area was 0.0004 mg/kg while there not detected for those sample collected from industrial area. The mean of cadmium concentration not contravened the standards set by Official Monitor of Romania, European Commission,