Mineral Content of Commercial Samples of Mechanically Deboned Poultry Meat

Nine commercial samples of mechanically deboned poultry meat, including products from broiler, fowl, and turkey parts, were analyzed for potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and lead. Calcium content, which had a fourfold range over the nine samples, probably reflected the varying bone content. Iron content, for which the literature provides widely different values within a product type, fell within reasonable limits for specific products analyzed. The many almost uncontrollable production factors, and the consequent high variability in mineral composition, suggest the need for frequent monitoring of production lots of these products for mineral elements of nutritional interest.