IntroductionIn areas affected by heavy metal contamination, the potential transfer of these metals from feed into animal products during digestion is a major concern.MethodsTwenty-four Xiangdong black male goats were equally assigned to three experimental groups (8 goats per group) using a completely randomized design for 60 days. The experimental groups were formulated by incorporating Paddy A, B, and C (containing low [LHM], medium [MHM], and high [HHM] levels of heavy metals, respectively) at 33% of the total diet.ResultsThe results revealed a nonsignificant decrease (p > 0.05) in the digestibility and absorption of Mn, Ca, Fe, Zn and Cr through the gastrointestinal tract, whereas the absorption of Cd and Pb significantly increased (p < 0.05), and that of Ni decreased in the HHM and MHH groups compared with those in the control group. The contents of heavy metals and essential metals in different tissues changed according to the type and function of the organ, and the contents of heavy metals in various tissues (spleen, lung, liver, kidney, rumen, ileum, cecum, colon, rectum, fat, muscles and hair) remained within internationally recognized safety limits for human consumption, as established by Codex and/or the European Commission Regulation. Moreover, meat quality and carcass characteristics were not affected (p > 0.05) by increasing heavy metal contents in the diets of goats.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that, under the current experimental conditions, incorporating paddy cultivated in soils contaminated with heavy metals into Xiangdong black male goat diets for short periods (60 days), without adverse effects on productive performance or health status, and the resulting animal products remained safe for human consumption. However, long-term studies involving different animal species under diverse climatic conditions are required to validate these findings before considering any practical application in livestock production systems.