Abstract
The concentrations and profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in 29 commercial brands of candies and chocolates commonly consumed in Nigeria with a view to providing information on the risks associated with the consumption of these products. The measurements were performed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after hexane/dichloromethane extraction and clean-up. The concentrations of the Σ16 PAHs in the candies and chocolates were in the range of 1.09-149.46 μg/kg and 0.95-222.62 μg/kg, respectively. The profiles of PAHs in these brands of candies and chocolates indicate dominance of low molecular weight PAHs (3- and 4-ring) over high molecular weight PAHs (5- and 6-ring). In this study, three samples of chocolate had PAH4 (benzo(a)anthracene + benzo(b) fluoranthene + benzo(a)pyrene + chrysene) concentrations above the 35 μg/kg PAH4 limit in cocoa butter stipulated by European Commission Regulation no. 835/2011.
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