Suya
Suya as it is being made and sold in
many places should not be eaten because of the risks and dangers associated. I
will try as much as possible to explain this in very simple and clear terms.
This is to enable even a layman read and understand the message of this post. I
promise not to mention terms such terms as benz[a]anthracene, Fasciola hepatica and Taenia saginata. In fact, forget I mentioned those three. All I just want you
to know are the risks and dangers associated with eating just any Suya.
What is Suya?
If you are reading this, you probably
know what Suya is. But by way of definition, Suya is a spicy skewered meat
which is a popular food item in various parts of Nigeria West
Africa . It
is traditionally prepared by the Hausa people of northern Nigeria Cameroon Niger Sudan
Health and Safety Issues
Associated With Suya Consumption
Forget the dirty environment and poor
or zero hygiene conditions in which Suya is made and handled in many places in
Nigeria, there are other dangers that are inherent in the consumption of Suya –
those that many would never know unless they are Food professional or have come
across an article like this that explains it.
1. Suya and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs)
You know when they say Cigarette
kills? It is majorly due to the PAHs they contain. Many Suya sellers make their
Suya by burning all sort of woods and charcoal to make their fire. Some even
throw in such things as plastics to make their ember burn brighter in order to
cook the Suya meat. Many of these materials burning under the meat contain
these Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons — and do you know what these PAHs do in
the body after enough consumption or exposure?
1.
Some PAHs are chemical carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds)
while seven PAH compounds have also been classified as probable human
carcinogens.
2.
Some PAH compounds are mutagens. Mutagen is a physical or
chemical agent that changes the genetic material (DNA).
3.
According to a finding, reported in an article on health.usnews.com,
high prenatal exposure to PAH is associated with lower IQ and childhood asthma.
2. Potential of contacting zoonotic diseases
A zoonotic disease is a disease that
can be passed between animals and humans. Since Suya meats are generally
undercooked and in rare occasions carrying some blood on them, there is a
chance that one could contact zoonotic diseases from Suya.
Take for example, during the Ebola
Virus Disease outbreak, we were warned to stay away from Monkey and Bat meats.
There was also a stern warning to always cook our meats very well before we eat
them. Cooking meat very well cannot really be said of Suya.
Other type of
diseases that can be passed from animals to humans include, LEPTOSPIROSIS, BRUCELLOSIS, BUBONIC PLAGUE, SALMONELLOSIS, etc.
Some zoonotic
diseases can be passed from the host animal to human directly while others can
be passed from consuming their products such as meat and milk.
3.
Beef Tapeworm (Taenia
saginata)
This is commonly known as the beef
tapeworm – a zoonotic tapeworm. Like it was mentioned above, humans majorly get
infected by consuming undercooked beef. The infection is may come without any
noticeable symptoms but heavy infection can also occur with attendant symptoms.
Heavy infection often results in weight loss, dizziness, abdominal pain,
diarrhea, headaches, nausea, constipation, chronic indigestion, and loss of
appetite. Heavy infections may cause intestinal obstruction in humans — this
can be alleviated by surgery.
Suya can be very delicious and make a
good delicacy if well cooked and appropriate types of woods are used for
smoking.
For example, it is
advised to cook/heat the Suya meat to a safe internal temperature around 80
degrees Celcius or more. Avoid adding plastics or fuels such as kerosene to the
fire to make it burn better.
Finally, let me say that eating moderate amounts of smoked meat
(Suya) without charring to a safe, yet medium temperature should not not pose a
problem.
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