Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Food Research Articles

Machine Learning Models to Predict the Bioaccessibility of Parent and Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Food: Impact on Accurate Health Risk Assessment

Food intake is the primary pathway for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to enter the human body. Once ingested, PAHs tend to accumulate, posing health risks. To accurately assess the risk of PAHs from food, concentrations of 10 parent PAHs (PPAHs) and 15 substituted PAHs (SPAHs) were detected across 34 commonly consumed foods. Results indicated that SPAHs concentrations (3.89-11.6ng/g dw) were higher than PPAH concentrations (1.66-3.43ng/g dw) in shrimp and shellfish and freshwater fish. Four machine learning algorithms were used to predict the bioaccessibility of PAHs in foods, with the random forest model performing the best (R2=0.987, RMSE=5.99). Feature variable importance analysis revealed that lipid and protein contents in food are critical variables influencing PAH bioaccessibility. Subsequently, the bioaccessibility of 25 PAHs in various foods was predicted to explore its impact on health risk assessment. Consequently, the carcinogenic risks considering bioaccessibility (5.62×10-5-7.12×10-5) was about an order of magnitude lower than that ignoring bioaccessibility (1.52×10-4-1.69×10-4), yet it still exceeded 10⁻6, indicating potential carcinogenic risks. Although PPAHs and alkylated PAHs were predominant in foods, 6-nitrochrysene was the main compound inducing both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks owing to its high toxicity. This study developed a novel method for assessing pollutant bioaccessibility and evaluating its impact on health risk assessment, which provides a valuable model for managing massive hazardous pollutants and is essential for improving the accuracy of health risk assessment.

A porous magnetic hydrogel-metal organic framework composite adsorbent for solvent-assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food

A porous magnetic composite adsorbent was developed for the solvent-assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The porous magnetic composite adsorbent was created by incorporating a metal-organic framework (MOF), magnetite nanoparticles, and calcium carbonate into alginate beads. The extraction of the analytes was enabled through hydrophobic and π-π interactions between MOF-5, PAHs, and the organic solvent in the micropores. The fabricated adsorbent was characterized and optimized to improve extraction efficiency. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity was achieved with a detection limit in the range of 0.01–0.10 µg L−1. The developed method was successfully applied to extract PAHs from coffee, cocoa, and tea samples for analysis with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Relative recoveries were obtained in the range of 70.3–96.1 %, with RSDs below 10 %. The developed adsorbent exhibited good stability and the extraction procedure was simple and rapid. The results obtained with the developed method were used to evaluate the incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) in adults from the intake of coffee, cocoa, and tea. Our calculations showed there was no cancer risk to consumers.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons' Impact on Crops and Occurrence, Sources, and Detection Methods in Food: A Review.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a category of persistent organic pollutants that pose a global concern in the realm of food safety due to their recognized carcinogenic properties in humans. Food can be contaminated with PAHs that are present in water, air, or soil, or during food processing and cooking. The wide and varied sources of PAHs contribute to their persistent contamination of food, leading to their accumulation within these products. As a result, monitoring of the levels of PAHs in food is necessary to guarantee the safety of food products as well as the public health. This review paper attempts to give its readers an overview of the impact of PAHs on crops, their occurrence and sources, and the methodologies employed for the sample preparation and detection of PAHs in food. In addition, possible directions for future research are proposed. The objective is to provide references for the monitoring, prevention, and in-depth exploration of PAHs in food.

Search for new green natural solid phases for sample preparation for PAHs determination in seafood samples followed by LC and GC–MS/MS analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic organic pollutants found in various environments, notably aquatic ecosystems and the food chain, posing significant health risks. Traditional methods for detecting PAHs in food involve complex processes and considerable reagent usage, raising environmental concerns. This study explores eco-friendly approaches suing solid phases derived from natural sources in matrix solid phase dispersion. We aimed to develop, optimize, and validate a sample preparation technique for seafood, employing natural materials for PAH analysis. Ten natural phases were compared with a commercial reference phase. The methodology involved matrix solid phase dispersion and pressurized liquid extraction, followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Three solid phases (perlite, sweet manioc starch, and barley) showed superior performance in LC-MS/MS and were further evaluated with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS), confirming perlite as the most effective phase. Validation followed Brazilian regulatory guidelines and European Community Regulation 2021/808/EC. The resulting method offered advantages in cost-effectiveness, reduced environmental impact, cleaner extracts, and enhanced analytical performance compared to the reference solid phase and LC-MS/MS. Proficiency analysis confirmed method reliability, with over 50% alignment with green analytical chemistry principles. In conclusion, this study developed an environmentally sustainable sample preparation technique for seafood analysis using natural solid phases, particularly perlite, for PAH determination.

A durable hydrophobicity hydrazone covalent organic framework coating for solid phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food and environmental sample

In this study, a durable hydrophobicity hydrazone covalent organic framework (BTCH-PTA-COF) has been developed as fiber coating, which was applied to solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The hydrophobic and π-π packing interactions between BTCH-PTA-COF and PAHs were confirmed by contact angle experiments and Van der Waals surface electrostatic potential analysis. Further, large specific surface area, good chemical and thermal stability have positive promoting effect on extraction. The method of wide linearity (0.25–300 µg·L−1), low detection limits (0.03–0.05 µg·L−1) and high enrichment factors (767–1411) for the detection of PAHs is explored, coupling BTCH-PTA-COF based SPME with gas chromatography with hydrogen flame detector (GC-FID). The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for inter-day and intra-day extractions of PAHs are ranging from 4.1 % to 9.6 % and 2.9 % to 6.4 %, respectively. The method successfully detected and quantified trace PAHs in tea beverages and river water samples with recoveries from 88.5 % to 104.8 %. The BTCH-PTA-COF coated fiber is ultra-stable in recycled extraction and reused at least 120 times, which could surpass published and commercial SPME fiber.

Synchronous fluorescence spectra-based machine learning algorithm with quick and easy accessibility for simultaneous quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the leading causes of human cancer. Four typical PAHs (PAH4) including benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), and chrysene (Chr) have been regarded as reasonable indicators for the occurrence of PAHs in food. In this study, the constant wavelength synchronous fluorescence (CWSF) spectra of PAH4 mixtures were used as the data sets without preprocessing and directly combined with the back propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm to establish a quantitative analysis method of PAH4. This method is capable of predicting the concentrations of PAH4 in edible oil samples without pre-separation. The detection limits for BaP, BbF, BaA, and Chr were 0.014, 0.068, 0.026, and 0.013 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries in various oil samples for BaP, BbF, BaA, and Chr were 99.5 ± 2.1, 101.0 ± 4.6, 98.6 ± 3.2, and 98.5 ± 4.9 %, respectively. The proposed method has proved to be a powerful tool for the rapid detection of PAH4.

Recent Evidence on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure.

This review provides a comprehensive conclusion of the relationship between the intake of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and different dietary patterns, pointing to the accompanying potential health risks. To achieve this, existing pertinent research was collected and analyzed. The collation revealed that the concentration of PAHs in food and their dietary patterns were diverse in different regions. Specifically, the concentration of PAHs in food was found to be related to the level of pollution in the area, including soil, air, and water pollution, which is then accumulated through the food chain into food that can be ingested directly by the human body, resulting in malformations in offspring, increased risk of cancer, and gene mutation. Guidebooks and dietary surveys were consulted to uncover disparities in dietary patterns, which indicated regional variations in taste preferences, traditional foods, and eating habits. Different regions are spatially categorized in this assessment by cities, countries, and continents. Notably, smoking and grilling are two of the food processing methods most likely to produce high levels of PAHs. To prevent excessive intake of PAHs from food items and attain a higher quality of life, more health education is urgently needed to promote healthy eating patterns.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and food safety: A review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of petrogenic or pyrogenic origin. Of the known few hundred PAHs, 16 are identified to be toxic, of which 8 are teratogenic. Of the 8, 4 are carcinogens. Among them, Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) possesses the highest carcinogenicity and is used as a marker in toxicity studies. PAHs of petrogenic origin contaminate soil, water and air. They may occur in air associated with dust particles. PAHs of pyrogenic origin are generated during burning of wood and other organic matter. They are also produced from lipids and carbohydrates during heating of foods. PAHs are mostly identified with grilling, smoking, frying, roasting and toasting of foods. Among the foods, formation of PAHs is studied mostly in association with grilling of fish and meat, where contacts occur between the dripping lipids and naked flames. The generated PAHs get deposited back on fish and meat muscles. PAHs in smoke are deposited on food surfaces on exposure to contaminated air from the vehicle fumes and smoke curing of foods. PAHs are formed during mechanical expulsion of edible oils. Presence of markers, carcinogenic PAHs and total PAHs in different foods and their extent of formation and deposition is discussed in relation to food safety hazards and health implications. Among the local foods and food preparation habits, the role of coconut oil, smoke curing of foods and formation of PAHs even under mild conditions of heat such as manufacture of black tea are reviewed. Recommendations for future actions, research and implementing food regulations to minimize PAHs in foods are presented.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Roasted Pork Meat and the Effect of Dried Fruits on PAH Content.

Diet is one of the main factors affecting human health. The frequent consumption of heat-treated meat has been classified as both directly carcinogenic to humans and as a risk factor, especially in the case of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Thermally processed meat may contain harmful muta- and carcinogenic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, there are natural ways to reduce the risk of diet-related cancers by reducing the formation of PAHs in meat. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in PAH levels in pork loin dishes prepared by stuffing the meat with dried fruits (prunes, apricots and cranberries) and baking it in a roasting bag. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was used to conduct a quantitative analysis of seven PAHs. Recovery results ranged from 61 to 96%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.003 to 0.006 ng/g, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.01 to 0.02 ng/g. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was used to confirm the presence of PAHs in food. The total PAH content of the roasted pork loin was 7.4 ng/g. This concentration decreased by 35%, 48% and 58% when the meat was roasted with apricots, prunes and cranberries, respectively. The cranberries also inhibited the formation of benzo(a)pyrene to the greatest extent. Thermally treating meat stuffed with dry fruits may be a simple and effective way to prepare foods with reduced levels of mutagens and carcinogens belonging to PAHs, and thus reduce the risk of cancer.

Recent advances in the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food and water

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of harmful and persistent organic contaminant, are widely distributed in the environment and eventually accumulated in water and food. Also, they are formed in different varieties and varying amounts during processing of food depending on the food composition, cooking method and processing condition. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), various PAHs are classified under Group 1 to 3 category, with Group 1 designated as carcinogenic to humans, Group 2A as probable carcinogen, Group 2B as possible carcinogen and Group 3 as noncarcinogenic. Therefore, it is imperative to develop rapid and highly sensitive analytical methods for determination of PAHs in food and water. This article aims to overview the recent advances of various chromatographic methods as well as electrochemical and SERS-based optical sensing methods for analysis of PAHs in food and water. Initially, several conventional sample preparation methods along with the advanced extraction for isolation of PAHs were summarized, followed by reviewing various gas chromatographic methods coupled with various detection techniques for PAHs analysis in various food products including meat/meat products, seafood, oil, milk/milk products, baby foods, honey, vegetable, cocoa products, tea/coffee, juice, rice, flour, noodle and cake. In addition, high performance liquid chromatographic methods coupled with fluorescence, diode array or mass/tandem mass detection techniques as well as an emerging supercritical fluid chromatographic technique employed for determination of PAHs in different food and water matrices were also overviewed. Finally, various electrochemical sensors and SERS-based optical sensors developed recently for onsite detection of PAHs were tabulated and discussed. Thus, this review article can provide a research update on chromatography and sensor-based analytical methods for PAH analysis as well as enable elucidation of research gaps for future studies.

The contamination, formation, determination and control of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in meat products

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are aromatic compounds with two or more benzene rings composed of carbon and hydrogen, which are potential hazard substances produced by food thermal processing. However, the toxicological effects differ due to their varieties, causing many countries to have inconsistent standards. Also, the formation mechanism of PAHs in meat products is still controversial, and the detection methods and influencing factors are diverse, resulting in food control challenges. Therefore, this work reviewed PAHs in food, especially meat products from the perspectives of their classification, toxicological evaluation, formation mechanism, methods for extraction and detection, influencing factors, and control strategies. This paper provides some perspectives on the control of food PAHs in research and industrial production.

Sex-specific thyroid disruption caused by phenanthrene in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well-known contaminants with widespread distribution in environment and food. Phenanthrene is one of the most abundant PAHs in food and aquatic environment and generates reproductive and developmental toxicity in zebrafish. Nonetheless, whether phenanthrene caused sex-specific thyroid disruption in adult zebrafish is unclear. To determine this, adult zebrafish (male and female) were treated with phenanthrene (0, 0.85, 8.5, and 85 μg/L) for 60 days. After the treatment period, we assessed the concentrations of thyroid hormones (THs) and expression levels of genes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. The results showed that phenanthrene exposure can lead to thyroid disruption in both male and female zebrafish. Exposure to phenanthrene dramatically reduced the levels of L-thyroxine (T4) and L-triiodothyronine (T3) in both male and female zebrafish, with a similar trend in both. However, the genes expression profiles of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis were sex-specific. In all, the present study demonstrated that phenanthrene exposure could result in sex-specific thyroid disruption in adult zebrafish.

Detection and determination of poly aromatic hydrocarbons in vegetable and tree leaves, Baghdad city, Iraq

Vegetables and tree leaves are an important part of healthy diet due to their nutritional value, so contamination of vegetables and tree leaves may be dangerous for the population. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds that are widely distributed in the environment and many of them exhibit carcinogenic effects. PAHs can enter the food chain in a variety of ways; hence the examination of PAHs in food is important. The current study examines the amounts of PAHs for ten of these compounds which are acenaphthene (Ace), acenaphthylene (Acy), fluorene (Flu), naphthalene (Np), anthracene (An), phenanthrene (Ph), benzo[α]anthracene (B[α]An), chrysene (Chry) , pyrene(Py), benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]Py) , In the following samples ( celery , watercress , cress , Eucalpt , mandarin , orange). The current study showed the presence of naphthalene in all samples, and the highest concentration was recorded in the Eucalyptuse leaves sample from the Doura region (19.433ppm) and the lowest concentration recorded in the Taji watercress sample (0.0785ppm). It was noted that the presence of pyrene by 66.66% and benzo-a-pyrene by 77.77%, while chrysene did not appear in any of the samples.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Foods: Biological Effects, Legislation, Occurrence, Analytical Methods, and Strategies to Reduce Their Formation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds comprised of carbon and hydrogen molecules in a cyclic arrangement. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, especially carcinogenesis. One form of exposure to these compounds is through ingestion of contaminated food, which can occur during preparation and processing involving high temperatures (e.g., grilling, smoking, toasting, roasting, and frying) as well as through PAHs present in the soil, air, and water (i.e., environmental pollution). Differently from changes caused by microbiological characteristics and lipid oxidation, consumers cannot sensorially perceive PAH contamination in food products, thereby hindering their ability to reject these foods. Herein, the occurrence and biological effects of PAHs were comprehensively explored, as well as analytical methods to monitor their levels, legislations, and strategies to reduce their generation in food products. This review updates the current knowledge and addresses recent regulation changes concerning the widespread PAHs contamination in several types of food, often surpassing the concentration limits deemed acceptable by current legislations. Therefore, effective measures involving different food processing strategies are needed to prevent and reduce PAHs contamination, thereby decreasing human exposure and detrimental health effects. Furthermore, gaps in literature have been addressed to provide a basis for future studies.

Occurrence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in electric grilled foods commonly consumed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Distribution and contamination profiles

United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in electric grilled (EG) foods: plantain (EG-PN), meat (EG-MT), yam (EG-YM) and fish (EG-FH), commonly consumed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, southern Nigeria. Distribution and concentrations of PAHs in the EG food samples were obtained by gas chromatography (GC) nalyses, after extraction using hexane/dichloromethane (1:3 v/v) and clean up by column chromatography. GC analyses identified 13 to 16 PAHs in the food samples with 10 observed to occur in all. Fluoranthene, pyrene (4-ring PAHs) and benzo(a)pyrene (5-ring PAH) were the most abundant, while the 2- and 3-ring PAHs were generally minor constituents or absent. Concentrations of PAHs in the EG foods ranged from 15.73 to 67.13 µg/kg and was observed to decrease in the order EG-PN>EG-MT > EG-YM > EG-FH with increase in grilling time. Ratios used as diagnostic indices of PAH formation processes indicate a combustion source for PAHs in the food samples and revealed electric grilling generated PAHs which contaminated the foods. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), used as a marker for PAH contamination in foods, had concentrations of 7.51 μg/kg, 2.68 μg/kg, 2.33 μg/kg and 1.85 μg/kg in EG-PN, EG-MT, EG-YM and EG-FH respectively. These values were above the maximum limit of 2 μg/kg set by the European Union, except for EG-FH which was slightly lower.
 Keywords: Food, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Electric grill, Concentration, Diagnostic ratio, Nigeria.

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Eggs Exposed to Fire Using a Simple and Efficient Method

The illicit burn practices on farms promote food contamination that is harmful and must be controlled by improved analytical methods. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have high toxic and carcinogenic potential, can contaminate foods, mainly through fire exposure. Considering the toxicity of PAHs, development of sensitive, simple, and solvent-free methods to analyze PAHs in foods is necessary. This work presents the development of a new method to analyze PAHs in eggs using cold fiber-solid-phase microextraction (CF-SPME) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Parameters of temperature extraction, ultrasonic agitation time, sample mass, and modifiers were evaluated to obtain the best CF-SPME conditions. The new method uses a minimal amount of solvent and showed good linearity in the range of 0.0005 to 5.60 μg/g. Detection limits were from 0.0002 to 0.046 μg/g, and quantification limits were from 0.0005 to 0.152 μg/g. The method was applied to PAHs analysis of chicken egg samples from a farm near a site of an uncontrolled tire fire. The concentrations of PAHs in this study ranged from 0.926 to 1.668 μg/g. All PAHs were detected in the samples. The total toxicity was estimated by benzo(a)pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) and did not decrease significantly in the period (6 weeks) of sample collection.

Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Achyrocline Satureioides (Marcela) and its infusion

This study evaluates the presence and levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Achyrocline Satureioides (inflorescences and infusions) using extraction under ultrasound accompanied by clean up with solid phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Sixteen priority PAHs were listed as priority contaminants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and PAHs (Benzo(a)Anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo(b)Fluoranthene, Benzo(a)Pyrene) were chosen as indicators by the European Food Safety Agency for the presence of PAHs in food. The HPAs concentrations ranged from 48.1 µg Kg-1 ± 1.4% to 48.8 µg Kg-1 ± 1.9% in Achyrocline Satureioides inflorescences. The total concentration in infusions of PAHs was 2.5 µg L-1 ± 6.3%. The sum of the priority PAHs in Achyrocline Satureioides samples ranged from 126.8 µg Kg-1 ± 13.6% and 218.9 µg Kg-1 ± 16.1% and infusion had a value of 10.0 µg L-1 ± 8.1%. The PAH concentrations in tea infusions are lower when compared with other food matrices, but the migration of these compounds for tea is high, resulting in levels that may cause damage to health.

Facile preparation of novel COFs functionalized magnetic core-shell structured nanocomposites and used for rapid detection of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food

A facile and rapid magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) based on magnetic covalent organic framework and coupled with high performance liquid chromatography diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) has been developed for detection of 11 kind of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food samples. In this paper, the novel magnetic core-shell structured (Fe3O4@COFs) nanocomposites were consisted with the magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) as a core, and 1,3,5-tris (4-aminophenyl) benzene (TAPB) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalaldehyde (DP) as two ligands for building shell outside of the core. These new nanocomposites were applied as superior adsorbent to enrich the PAHs due to their merits of large specific surface area, highly porosity and excellent thermal stability. The conditions that may affect the enrichment efficiency in MSPE process, including desorption solvent, amount of sorbent, extraction time, desorption time and desorption adsorption volume were investigated systematically. By combining MSPE with HPLC-DAD, an effective method for the detection of trace PAHs was successfully developed, which exhibited good linearity with R2 ranging from 0.9954 to 0.9988, satisfactory recoveries in the range of 83.2–119.3%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) was lower than 5.8%. In addition, the proposed MSPE-HPLC-DAD method was shown excellent ability to enrich trace PAHs effectively in food samples and potential application in extract other aromatic compounds.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Foods: A Critical Review

Objective: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well researched chemicals in foods that have been found to exhibit mutagenic and carcinogenic potentials. This study examined available literature on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods, sources, effects and remediation. Methods: Available literature on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods, sources, effects and remediation was critically reviewed. Results: The review showed that carcinogenicity of PAHs varies from the potent to moderately carcinogenic PAHs which include 3-methylcholanthrene, Benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, 5-methylchrysene, and dibenz[a,j]anthracene, whereas benzo[e]pyrene, dibenz[a,c]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[c]phenanthrene and fluoranthene are relatively weak or inactive carcinogens. Cooking processes have been found to be a major source of PAHs in foods. Although, PAHs can also be formed during curing and processing of raw food prior to cooking, several researchers in recent years have shown that the major dietary sources of PAHs are fish and meat especially where there is high consumption of meat cooked over an open flame. Several procedures and methods have been developed recently to assess and detect PAHs in foods and more recently, bio-monitoring procedures have also been developed to assess human exposure to PAHs. Numerous organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IACR), the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have been involved in evaluating the occurrence and toxicity of PAHs. Conclusion: Conclusively, taking into consideration the sources of PAHs generation, adequate process and quality control of the processed foods could be a veritable mean to reduce PAHs ingestion in foods.

Analysis, formation and inhibition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods: An overview

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), formed through incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of wood or gasoline, represents an important class of toxicological compounds because of its wide distribution in the environment and possible contamination of foods. This paper deals with an overview of analysis, formation and inhibition of PAHs in foods. Extraction of PAHs from food is routinely conducted by saponification of lipid with Soxhlet method, followed by purification with a Sep-Pak Florisil cartridge and partition. This method can remove more impurities than the sonication method. With HPLC, all 16 PAHs can be simultaneously separated by a gradient solvent system and detected by UV at 254 nm or fluorescence employing programmable wavelength with seven settings of excitation/emission. With GC, all 16 PAHs can also be simultaneously separated by a temperature programming method and detected by flame ionization detector (FID) or ion-trap mass detector (ITD). Although HPLC can provide adequate separation of 16 PAHs, nevertheless, the presence of impurities in food sample can interfere with the subsequent identification and separation. For GC, a number of isomeric PAHs partially overlap. Nonetheless, the application of GC-ITD can readily identify the various PAHs in foods through reconstructed ion chromatograms even in the presence of fat- or PAH-like impurities. Charcoal-grilling and smoking are the two major processing methods which can result in the formation of high amount of total carcinogenic PAHs. No carcinogenic PAHs are detected in steaming and liquid smoke flavoring. The amount of PAHs in food samples can also be greatly reduced by sorption into low-density polyethylene bags. Further research in necessary to determine how the formation of PAHs during processing can be directly retarded or eliminated.