DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sajp.2026.v15i06.003

Pages: 146-152

The practice of adding paracetamol to meat during cooking to expedite tenderization is a documented but understudied food safety issue. This study investigates the interaction between paracetamol and cow tail meat during boiling, focusing on the catalytic role of the meat matrix in paracetamol hydrolysis to p-aminophenol (PAP). It also examines the optimal conditions for this conversion and the public health implications of consuming such broths. Cow tail meat was boiled with a fixed amount of paracetamol (0.1 g) and varying meat weights (0.2 – 1.2 g) to assess the extent of hydrolysis. The reverse experiment was also conducted using a fixed meat weight (1.0 g) and varying paracetamol amounts (0.1 – 1.0 g). The formation of PAP was monitored using a validated colorimetric method with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (p-DMAB) at 450 nm. Control experiments with meat alone and paracetamol alone were conducted. The data were analyzed to determine the optimal meat-to-paracetamol ratio for complete hydrolysis. The study showed that the extent of paracetamol hydrolysis was directly proportional to the weight of the meat sample up to a 10:1 meat-to-paracetamol ratio, where complete conversion (100% of 0.1 g) was observed. Increasing the paracetamol concentration beyond 0.1 g in a fixed meat sample (1.0 g) resulted in a decline in absorbance, indicating incomplete hydrolysis and potential saturation of the catalytic system. Control experiments confirmed that neither the meat nor paracetamol alone produced PAP under the same conditions. The cow tail meat matrix plays a critical catalytic role in the thermal hydrolysis of paracetamol to the nephrotoxin p-aminophenol. The process is dependent on the meat-to-drug ratio, with a 10:1 ratio by weight being sufficient for complete hydrolysis of the drug. This interaction not only raises significant concerns about the potential health risks of consuming such contaminated food but also underscores the biochemical complexity of drug residu