Cooking Fumes as a Hygienic Problem in the Food and Catering Industries

Abstract

There are limited data on the emission of cooking fumes into work atmospheres although it is known that these fumes may contain irritants or other harmful substances. Field measurements were carried out at eight workplaces (two bakeries, a food factory, and five restaurant kitchens). Air samples were collected during frying/grilling of meat or fish or during deep-frying, at stationary sampling points close to the cooking apparatus and the active working area. The highest concentrations of fat aerosol (9–16 mg/m3) were measured in kitchens using the ordinary frying method; lower concentrations were found at other workplaces (<0.01–3.2 mg/m3). The concentrations of acrolein ranged from 0.01 to 0.59 mg/m3, exceeding the current threshold limit value (0.23 mg/m3) in two kitchens. The highest concentrations of formaldehyde were found in grill kitchens (0.24 and 0.75 mg/m3) and the highest concentrations of ac-etaldehyde in bakeries (0.67 and 1.5 mg/m3). The concentrations of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MelQx) and 2-aminotrimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxalines (DiMelQx), selected as indicators of the group of mutagenic heterocyclic amines, were below the detection limits, whereas low concentrations of poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were encountered. This survey confirmed that cooking fumes contain hazardous compounds. It also indicated that workers may be exposed to relatively high concentrations of airborne impurities.