Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Profile, Chemical Composition and Acceptability of Suya (a West African Grilled Meat)

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This study was carried out to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon profiles, chemical composition and acceptability of suya. Meats from cow, goat, sheep and chicken were processed into suya samples and analyzed to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon profile, proximate composition, quality indices and sensory values. The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]A), benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]FA), benzo[ghi]perylene (B[ghi]P) and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DB[a,h]A) suya smples from cow, goat, sheep and chicken meat were 5.74 ± 1.00, 5.72 ± 1.10, 5.87 ± 1.00, 5.91 ± 1.00, 6.19 ± 2.00; 5.29 ± 1.00, 5.38 ± 1.01, 5.52 ± 1.00, 5.03 ± 1.00, 5.73 ± 1.20; 5.32 ± 1.01, 5.49 ± 1.00, 5.41 ± 1.00, 5.12 ± 1.00, 5.91 ± 1.01 and 5.08 ± 1.00, 5.02 ± 1.00, 5.03 ± 1.00, 4.97 ± 1.00; 5.14 ± 1.00 respectively. This study also showed that suya samples prepared from different meat sources contain high concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs, (B[a]P), (B[a]A), (B[b]FA), (B[ghi]P) and (DB[a,h]A) above the EU maximum level of 5.0 µg kg−1 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 835/2011 of 19 August 2011) for B[a]P permitted in grilled or barbecued meat. The high concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs in suya samples could endanger the lives of consumers and therefore of public health concern. However, the quality indices such as peroxide values (mgeq.peroxide/kg), free fatty acidity (%), thiobarbituric acid (mMol/kg), and total volatile base-N (mgN/kg) are also within maximum acceptable limits and legislative standards. The high sensory values obtained for the suya samples also suggested that the suya samples from different meat sources are also acceptable to the consumers.