The monthly mean concentration values ranged between 0.2696mg/kg – 10.5628mg/kgFe, 8.8931mg/kg – 22.9468mg/kgZn, 0.0654mg/kg - 0.2554mg/kgMn. These values were below the set values by Federal Drug Agency (FDA), Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA), World Health Organization (WHO), The EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF), US National Research Council (NRC) Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes (SADDIs). Monthly mean concentration of Nickel was 0.5442 – 2.1291mg/kg and was below WHO/FEPA set limits except in Unico. Vanadium average monthly values ranged between 0.0399mg/kg - 0.1252mg/kg during this study.

Based on individual brands, John west sardine in brine, Star kist in sun flower oil, Tuna flakes in brine and Unico had Fe concentrations which exceeded the permissible value of 0.30 mg/kg by WHO but below COMA’s set values of 8.7 and 6.7 mg/kg for males aged 11-18 and 19+ years respectively. It can therefore be inferred from this study that the storage media is not necessarily a major issue of concern when considering metal contamination, as all the brands in the different storage media used during the period of study were undeniable sources of Fe, Mn, Ni and V.

Conclusively therefore, metals in canned fish though inadvertently is meeting some human dietary requirements in Nigeria and other parts of the world, must be monitored comprehensively and periodically with respect to safe guarding the consumer’s health as their elevated levels are capable of causing anemia, brain, kidney, skin, central nervous systems damage among others.