It is a known fact that we often desire for various delicacies or foods that might have negative effects on our health as we are not perfect in making decisions. Certain foods we hunger for should be looked into and its effects made known to the us before giving it a thoughtful decision.
Having grown up in the western part of Nigeria, we must be familiar with the sight of the Hausa men selling suya at various junctions near our homes. This spicy skewered meat is often enjoyed as a delicacy in many parts of Nigeria. If only we look deep into the process of which suya is being made we would discriminate the risks and dangers associated and probably reduce our consumption rate.
Underlisted are some of the dangers associated with the consumption of Suya
The dirty environment and poor zero hygiene conditions in which Suyas are made is one of the dangers that the consumption of suya brings, but this is minimal to other dangers that are inherent in the consumption of suya.
Contamination by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Due to its process of preparation which involves the burning of coals and other materials like rubber and plastic to heat up the meat, there is a discharge of polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the meat itself and these PAHs are chemical carcinogens – cancer causing compounds.
Also a high exposure to PAH is associated with lower IQ and childhood asthma.
Risk of Contacting Zonotic Diseases
These are diseases that can easily be passed between animals and humans. It is a known fact that suya meats are not being cooked generally and have some blood in them in some cases, there could be chances of contacting certain diseases from the consumption of suya.
Risk of Consuming Unknown Animal Product
Due to the cost of certain animal products, most suya sellers can substitute a certain meat for another. For example, beef could be substituted for other products such as cat meat, rat meat, snake meat or probably for a dog meat. The consumers of suya should be careful as most of them detest some of these meat types but unknowingly end up consuming them and therefore could be prone to certain diseases.
In other words, while consuming suya, we should take note of the environment and the preparation time for the meat to be ready. We could also further prepare the meat to our taste and satisfaction.
