Benzo[a]pyrene and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) levels in vegetable oils and fats do not reflect the occurrence of the eight genotoxic PAHs

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 115 samples of olive oil (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive oil, pomace olive oil and blended olive oil), cooking oil (corn oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, palm olein oil, soya oil, canola oil, mustard oil, peanut oil and mixed vegetable oil) and fat (butter and table margarine) collected from retail stores in Kuwait. Carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was detected in 43% of the samples analyzed. Benz[a]anthracene and chrysene were detected in 37 and 45% of the samples, respectively, that did not contain BaP. Of the individual non-carcinogenic PAHs, naphthalene showed the highest mean concentration (14 µg kg^?1), while for the carcinogenic PAHs, BaP (0.92 µg kg^?1) and chrysene (0.87 µg kg^?1) showed the highest mean values. Approximately 20% of the samples within the olive oil and cooking oil sub-categories exceeded the EU maximum tolerable limit for BaP, with the highest level of 6.77 and 11.1 µg kg^?1, respectively. For the fat sub-category, 9% of the samples exceeded the tolerance limit, with the highest level of 3.67 µg kg^?1. The Kuwaiti general population's dietary exposure to the genotoxic PAHs (PAH8: benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene) was estimated to be 196 ng day^?1 (3.3 ng kg^?1 bw day^?1, assuming an average adult body weight of 60 kg). Results indicated that PAH8 and BaP_eq (total sum benzo[a]pyrene equivalents) are more reliable measures of the concentrations of other carcinogenic PAHs in oil and fat samples, while BaP and PAHs alone are not good indicators of the occurrence or degree of contamination by carcinogenic PAHs in these food products.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Italian preserved food products in oil

A method based on gas chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry was used to assess levels of 16 EU priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 48 preserved food products in oil including foods such as vegetables in oil, fish in oil and oil-based sauces obtained from the Italian market. The benzo[a]pyrene concentrations ranged from <0.04 to 0.40 µg kg^?1, and 72.9% of the samples showed detectable levels of this compound. The highest contamination level was observed for chrysene with three additional PAHs (benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[c]fluorene) giving mean values higher than the mean value for benzo[a]pyrene. Chrysene was detected in all the samples at concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 1.80 µg kg^?1 (median 0.31 µg kg^?1). The contamination expressed as PAH4 (sum of benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(b)fluoranthene), for which the maximum tolerable limit has been set by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 835/2011, varied between 0.10 and 2.94 µg kg^?1.     

Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in food supplements containing botanicals and other ingredients on the Dutch market

Food supplements can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has defined 16 priority PAH that are both genotoxic and carcinogenic and identified eight priority PAH (PAH8) or four of these (PAH4) as good indicators of the toxicity and occurrence of PAH in food. The current study aimed to determine benzo[a]pyrene and other EFSA priority PAH in different categories of food supplements containing botanicals and other ingredients. From 2003 to 2008, benzo[a]pyrene exceeded the limit of quantification (LOQ) in 553 (44%) of 1258 supplements with a lower-bound mean of 3.37?µg?kg^?1. In 2008 and 2009, benzo[a]pyrene and 12 other EFSA priority PAH were determined in 333 food supplements. Benzo[a]pyrene exceeded the LOQ in 210 (63%) food supplements with a lower-bound mean of 5.26?µg?kg^?1. Lower-bound mean levels for PAH4 and PAH8(-indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) were 33.5 and 40.5?µg?kg^?1, respectively. Supplements containing resveratrol, Ginkgo biloba, St. John's wort and propolis showed relatively high PAH4 levels in 2008 and 2009. Before 2008, supplements with these ingredients and also dong quai, green tea or valerian contained relatively high benzo[a]pyrene levels. On average, PAH4 intake resulting from food supplement use will be at the lower end of the range of contributions of main food groups to PAH4 exposure, although individual food supplements can contribute significantly to PAH4 exposure. Regular control of EFSA indicator PAH levels in food supplements may prove a way forward to reduce further the intake of PAH from food.     

Influence of collagen and natural casings on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in traditional dry fermented sausage (Petrovská klobása) from Serbia

The aim of this study was to determine the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—PAHs (acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and benzo[ghi]perylene)—from Environmental Protection Agency list (United States Environmental Protection Agency) in traditional dry fermented sausage (Petrovská klobása) stuffed in collagen (C) and natural casings (N). Benzo[a]pyrene as well as PAH4 (benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and chrysene) were not detected in all examined samples. Results obtained in this study indicated that at the end of drying, as well as at the end of storage period, total content of 13 US-EPA PAH was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in sausages with collagen casing (56.2 and 73.6 μg/kg, respectively) than in sausages with natural casing (137.1 and 206.2 μg/kg, respectively).     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) from the Argentinean market

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occurrence in 50 samples marketed in the main supermarkets from Argentina was surveyed. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was applied with fluorescence detection (FLD) and UV—VIS diodes array detector (DAD) for the analysis of 16 PAHs in “yerba mate” (Ilex paraguariensis), with recoveries higher than 89% and limits of detection and quantification lower than that found by other methodologies in previous studies. Contamination expressed as the sum of 16 analysed PAHs ranged between 224.6 and 4449.5 μg kg^?1 on dry mass. The contamination expressed as PAH4 (sum of benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(b)fluoranthene) varied between 8.3 and 512.4 μg kg^?1. The correlation coefficient for PAH2 (sum of benzo(a)pyrene and chrysene) and PAH4 groups was 0.99, for PAH2 and PAH8 (sum of benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and indeno(1,2,3cd) pyrene) 0.97 and for PAH4 and PAH8 0.98.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels and risk assessment for food from service facilities in Korea

ABSTRACT

In this study, levels of benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene in 412 food items collected from food service facilities in Korea were analysed. The concentrations of the eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranged 0.13–0.48 μg/kg. The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene in all food samples were <1 μg/kg, which is the lowest maximum limit in foods regulated by European Union legislation. PAH contents were employed to conduct exposure and risk assessment. The chronic daily intake of PAHs from 412 food samples was 5.48 × 10^–6-4.70 ×x 10^–4 µg-TEQ_BaP/kg/day with margins of exposure of 1.04 × 10⁹-1.16 × 10¹¹.     

Rapid and sensitive method for the determination of four EU marker polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cereal-based foods using isotope-dilution GC/MS

A rapid and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of the four European Union marker polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene) in some cereal-based foods. The method is based on pressurised liquid extraction (PLE), solid-phase extraction clean-up (SPE) and isotope-dilution gas chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection (GC/MS). The developed method was calibrated for the content range of 0.05–12.5 µg kg^?1 (expressed on a product basis). Recoveries of PAH were monitored in each sample via the recovery of ¹³C-labelled PAHs. Recovery values were in the range between 86% and 91%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 5% and 9%. The achieved limits of detection for all analytes were below 0.05 µg kg^?1. The applicability of the method for the analysis of routine samples was studied by the analysis of a set of commercial bread and breakfast cereal samples. In all analysed samples, benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) was the most prevalent PAH with the content between 0.09 and 0.30 µg kg^?1. On average, samples showed low levels of the sum of the four EU marker PAHs (ΣPAH4) that ranged between 0.11 and 0.22 µg kg^?1 for bread samples and between 0.23 and 0.87 µg kg^?1 for breakfast cereal samples. The developed method was found suitable for the determination of PAHs in cereal-based foods like cornflakes and breads with total relative fat contents below 3.5%.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in traditionally smoked meat products from the Baltic states

A total of 77 traditionally smoked meat samples produced in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were tested for the occurrence of four EU regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Levels of PAHs exceeding the EU maximum levels for benzo[a]pyrene and for the sum of four PAHs (PAH4) were detected in 46% and 48% of the samples originating from Latvia. The detected BaP levels in smoked meats ranged from 0.05 to 166 μg kg^?1, while the PAH4 content ranged from 0.42 to 628 μg kg^?1. The mean dietary exposure to PAHs was estimated at the levels of 5.4 ng BaP/kg bw/day and 36 ng PAH4/kg bw/day. The margin of exposure (MOE) approach was utilised to assess the risks to Latvian consumers due to PAHs and the obtained MOEs were in a range of 7205–24,434, thus indicating a potential concern for consumer health for specific population groups.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in chocolate on the German market

Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHR), cyclopenta[c,d]pyrene (CPP), 5-methylchrysene (5MC), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[j]fluGoranthene (BjF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DhA), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcP), benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DlP), dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (DeP), dibenzo[a,i]pyrene (DiP) and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene (DhP), the 15 SCFPAH, assessed to be relevant as well as benzo[c]fluorene (BcL) recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), were analysed in different types of chocolate. The sample preparation included accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and solid phase chromatography using small silica gel columns. The individual PAH were separated by gas chromatography using a VF-17ms GC column and detected by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The investigation of 40 samples of various types of chocolate with different cocoa contents resulted in a median benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content of 0.22 μg/kg. Furthermore, the results showed a linear correlation between the content of BaP and the sum content of the 16 priority PAH. Therefore, the analysis of BaP as a leading substance seems to be suitable to estimate the PAH contamination in chocolate.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in milk powders marketed in Argentina and Brazil

The aim of this study was to quantify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in milk powder samples commercialised in Argentina and Brazil during 2012. Thirty-one samples were available from the retail market. An HPLC method for the determination of PAHs was applied involving a clean-up step with silica cartridges. Recoveries were greater than 79% for all PAHs analysed. Reproducible determination with adequate detection and quantification limits (LOD and LOQ) were attained by HPLC with fluorescence detection for 14 PAHs. Acenaphthylene was determined with a UV–VIS detector. There is no significant difference in any PAHs or in the sum of them between the Argentinean and Brazilian samples. Therefore, the samples were evaluated together. The highest concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) detected was 0.57 µg kg^?1 in milk powder. Contamination of samples expressed as the sum of 15 analysed PAHs varied between 11.8 and 78.4 µg kg^?1 and as PAH4 (BaP, chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(b)fluoranthene) was between 0.02 and 10.16 µg kg^?1. The correlation coefficient for PAH2 (BaP and chrysene) and PAH4 groups was 0.95, for PAH2 and PAH8 it was 0.71, and for PAH4 and PAH8 it was 0.83. All the samples were below the regulatory limit for BaP, but 65% of commercial milk powders do not comply with the European Union limit for PAH4. This is the first report of PAH contamination in powder milk from Argentina and Brazil.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in commercial roasted coffee beans

This study was conducted to investigate the presence of 7 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CRY), benzo[b] fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[a] pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DahA), benzo [g,h,i]perylene (BghiP)] in roasted coffee beans from Korean market. In this study, the method for sample preparation involved liquid-liquid extraction after saponification with potassium hydroxide (KOH), followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE). The external standard method was used for measurement, and regression coefficients ranged from 0.9938 to 0.9995. To determine how much of the analyte remained in the samples after sample preparation, 3-methylcholanthrene was spiked into the samples for a recovery study. The limits of detection and quantification of the 7 PAHs ranged from 0.016 to 0.497 and 0.054 to 1.656 μg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs in the 10 coffee samples ranged from 0.62±0.08 to 53.25±9.38 μg/kg. According to the results, the critically harmful PAH, BaP, was presented at levels harmless to humans.     

Assessment of contamination source and quality control approach for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wood-pressed rapeseed oil

Contamination sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the raw material, oil production and storage processes of wood-pressed rapeseed oil were investigated in this study. The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and PAH4 (sum of BaP, benzo[a]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene) were unevenly distributed in the kernel (0.56–0.98 and 2.84–8.64 μg/kg, respectively) and hull (1.53–3.17 and 13.49–22.31 μg/kg, respectively) of the rapeseed raw materials. The contents of BaP and PAH4 continuously increased during the process of wood-pressed rapeseed oil, ranging from 2.21 to 10.93 and 9.36 to 40.03 μg/kg, thus demonstrating that a wide range of pollution sources of PAHs existed for the test wood-pressed rapeseed oils. The initial temperature and time of roasting should be controlled at <210°C and <60 min, due to the generation of PAHs in rapeseed by over-roasting. In addition, contact tools and substance such as lubricating oil (from the mill), heat-transfer oil (from roasting machine), rubber gaskets and straws should be properly screened. The BaP and PAH4 of rapeseed placed in the roasting area increased from 0.5 to 2.24 and from 2.08 to 9.03 μg/kg, respectively. Therefore, roasting fume control and treatment systems are necessary and the roasting section should be strictly isolated from the other stages. Storage can slightly lower the PAHs amounts in the rapeseed oil, which made the contents of BaP and PAH4 decrease from 27.00 to 24.70 and from 138.63 to 117.58 μg/kg, respectively. Quality control measures of PAHs in wood-pressed rapeseed oil were proposed and implemented, and the final oil products’ BaP and PAH4 were kept below 2 and 10 μg/kg, respectively, which meets the European Commission Regulation No. 835/2011.     

Single-laboratory validation of a saponification method for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils by HPLC-fluorescence detection

An analytical method is reported for the determination of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR)) in edible oils (sesame, maize, sunflower and olive oil) by high-performance liquid chromatography. Sample preparation is based on three steps including saponification, liquid–liquid partitioning and, finally, clean-up by solid phase extraction on 2 g of silica. Guidance on single-laboratory validation of the proposed analysis method was taken from the second edition of the Eurachem guide on method validation. The lower level of the working range of the method was determined by the limits of quantification of the individual analytes, and the upper level was equal to 5.0 µg kg^?1. The limits of detection and quantification of the four PAHs ranged from 0.06 to 0.12 µg kg^?1 and from 0.13 to 0.24 µg kg^?1. Recoveries of more than 84.8% were achieved for all four PAHs at two concentration levels (2.5 and 5.0 µg kg^?1), and expanded relative measurement uncertainties were below 20%. The performance of the validated method was in all aspects compliant with provisions set in European Union legislation for the performance of analytical methods employed in the official control of food. The applicability of the method to routine samples was evaluated based on a limited number of commercial edible oil samples.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in chocolate on the German market

Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (CHR), cyclopenta[c,d]pyrene (CPP), 5-methylchrysene (5MC), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[j]fluGoranthene (BjF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DhA), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcP), benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DlP), dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (DeP), dibenzo[a,i]pyrene (DiP) and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene (DhP), the 15 SCFPAH, assessed to be relevant as well as benzo[c]fluorene (BcL) recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), were analysed in different types of chocolate. The sample preparation included accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and solid phase chromatography using small silica gel columns. The individual PAH were separated by gas chromatography using a VF-17ms GC column and detected by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The investigation of 40 samples of various types of chocolate with different cocoa contents resulted in a median benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content of 0.22 μg/kg. Furthermore, the results showed a linear correlation between the content of BaP and the sum content of the 16 priority PAH. Therefore, the analysis of BaP as a leading substance seems to be suitable to estimate the PAH contamination in chocolate.

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Zusammenfassung:  Für Bestimmung der 15+1 von der EU als priorit?r eingestuften PAK in verschiedenen Schokoladen wurde eine Analysenmethode bestehend aus beschleunigter L?sungsmittelextraktion (ASE), Gelpermeationschromatographie (GPC) und Nachreinigung an einer Minikieselgels?ule verwendet. Die Identifizierung und Quantifizierung der einzelnen Verbindungen erfolgte nach gaschromatographischer Trennung mit dem hochaufl?senden Massenspektrometer unter Verwendung einer VF-17ms GC-S?ule. Die Untersuchung von 40 Schokoladenproben mit verschiedenen Kakaogehalten erbrachte im Median einen Gehalt an Benzo[a]pyren (BaP) von 0,22 μg/kg. Es zeigte sich weiterhin eine enge Korrelation des BaP-Gehalts vom Gesamtgehalt der 15+1 EU-PAK. über die Leitsubstanz BAP l?sst sich somit der Gesamtgehalt der 15+1 EU-PAK durch die alleinige Bestimmung von BaP in Schokolade absch?tzen.

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Received: February 10, 2009; accepted: February 25, 2009.     

Results of an European inter-laboratory comparison study on the determination of the 15 + 1 EU priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in liquid smoke condensates

A collaborative study on the determination of the 15 + 1 EU priority PAHs in Primary Smoke Condensate (PSC) investigating the performance profile of EU Member States’ laboratories and supporting the work carried out by the European Food Safety Authority on smoke flavourings was organised. Two spiked liquid smoke condensate materials were employed in this study. The results of 25 laboratories from across the European Union, using either high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection or gas chromatography with mass selective detection, were evaluated by application of robust statistics. The assessment of the data indicated broadened Gaussian distributions for all analytes. For benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene and 5-methylchrysene more than 80% of the respective reported values gave rise to a satisfactory score of |z| ? 2. For benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and dibenzo[a,l]pyrene 70–80%, for the remaining analytes less than 70%, and for dibenzo[a,i]pyrene 52% of the scores were satisfactory. No systematic differences could be detected between values reported by laboratories using methods based on HPLC and the values related to methods based on GC for most of the analytes, except for benzo[k]fluoranthene and benzo[c]fluorene. In both cases laboratories using GC based methods reported about 50% higher values than laboratories using HPLC based methods. The overview on all z-scores sorted by laboratory revealed broad distributions and/or laboratory biases for several laboratories. An assessment of the reported method performance parameters revealed that for the two regulated compounds, BaP and BaA, only two thirds of the reported data were in compliance with Regulation (EC) 627/2006. Overall the methods used in the participating laboratories were – with ample room for improvement – well on the way to comply with European legislation.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cachaça by HPLC with fluorescence detection

Cachaça is a distilled alcoholic beverage obtained from sugar cane fermentation. In this study, 25 brands of cachaça commercially available in Brazil were analysed for the presence of 5 PAHs (benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene). The methodology involved liquid–liquid extraction with cyclohexane and dimethyilformamide–water (9:1, v/v), clean up on silica gel column and determination by high performance liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection. PAHs peak identity was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Variable levels of summed PAHs were detected in the analysed samples, ranging from not detected to 1.94 μg/L. The results confirm the presence of PAHs in cachaça and suggest that contaminated sugar cane may be the source of PAHs in sugar cane spirits.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in traditionally smoked Slavonska kobasica

ABSTRACT

The traditional smoking procedure, which is the use of open fire, can lead to the formation of PAHs in sausages. The aim of this paper was to assess the types and concentrations of 16 PAHs in 30 samples of Slavonska kobasica, a traditional smoked sausage. In general, some samples showed high values of anthracene and acenaphthylene. In one sample, acenaphthylene reached the value of 1050 µg/kg and in another 1491 µg/kg anthracene was measured. Cancerogenic benzo(a)pyrene content was little above the maximum limit of 5 µg/kg in four samples, but mainly remained below the limit of quantification. PAH4 (i.c. benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene) were above the maximum limit of 30 µg/kg in three samples. Generally, it can be noted from the results that samples with high PAH4 and benzo(a)pyrene concentrations also have high PAH16 concentrations.     

Effect of fuel and kiln type on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in smoked shrimp,a Beninese food condiment

Smoked shrimp is a food condiment widely used in Beninese local cooking practices. A previous study revealed that this product is highly contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The present study explored possibilities to reduce PAH levels in shrimp smoked using cottage industry smoking techniques with barrel and chorkor kilns, by replacing wood by charcoal from Acacia auriculiformis and Mangifera indica, as fuels. Results showed that only shrimp smoked using acacia charcoal in a chorkor kiln had PAH levels (benzo[a]pyrene = 5 µg kg^?1 and sum of benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[b]fluoranthene = 28 µg kg^?1) in accordance with a European standard of 5 and 30 µg kg^?1, respectively, and suitable physicochemical characteristics for good storage (moisture content = 11.9% ± 1.5%; water activity = 0.46 ± 0.03). However, further investigations still needs to be done to reduce the duration of product contact with combustion gasses in order to reduce the PAH content of smoked shrimp to safer levels, largely below standards.     

Levels of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]anthracene in smoked “Provola” cheese from Calabria (Italy)

Levels of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) in “Provola” cheese samples from Calabria, smoked naturally and using commercial smoke-flavouring, have been determined. A comparative study of BaP and BaA concentrations was carried out on rind, exterior zone, core and slice of these samples. Quantitative determination of BaP and BaA was ascertained by HPLC using fluorescence detection. Levels of BaP and BaA were found in all smoked “Provola” cheese samples, but higher in cheese smoked with natural methods (0.46–1.13 µg kg^?1 for BaP and 1.38–9.29 µg kg^?1 for BaA) compared to samples smoked using commercial flavouring (0.085–0.32 µg kg^?1 for BaP and 1.20–2.98 µg kg^?1 for BaA). The smoking process contributes to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination; however, for improved food safety, the use of commercial buffered smoke is preferable to traditional smoking procedures.     

Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contents and risk assessment for fish and meat products in Korea

Contents and human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fish and meat products in Korea were analyzed. Liquid-liquid extraction and HPLC with fluorescence detection were used. The average concentrations of total PAHs were 0.21 μg/kg for fish and shellfish, 1.97 μg/kg for meat, and 0.32 μg/kg for smoked products. The benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content was <5 μg/kg and contents of 4 PAHs (benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and BaP) were lower than 30 μg/kg, which is the maximum tolerable limit. PAHs values were changed to BaP to conduct exposure assessments and risk characterization. Dietary exposure was 0.011-0.544 ng-TEQ_BaP/kg/day. The margin of exposure for all population groups assessed at the mean and 95^th percentile was 13,757–9,090,909, of low concern. PAHs were detected in fish and shellfish, meat, and smoked products, but their contribution to human PAH exposure was small.