Hygienic characteristic of the contamination levels by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of food

Introduction. Foods are one of the main ways of entering chemical contaminants in the human body. Such compounds include polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in particular, benzo(a)pyrene (BP), which according to the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer belongs to the 1 group of carcinogenic substances for humans.

Material and methods. the levels of contamination of BP and the sum of 4PAНs (BP, benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benz(b)fluoranthene (BbF), chrysene (CHR)) were studied for products of cocoa processing, smoked meat and fish products, fat-and-oil products and smoked cheeses. The determination of these compounds was carried out using the high-performance liquid chromatography method with a fluorimetric detector. A total of 147 samples of food products were examined. Simulation of the quantitative characteristics of samples that are «qualified» as «below limit of detection» or «not detected» is performed in accordance with the recommendations of FAO/WHO and EFSA.

Results. The average levels of BP contamination and the 4PAHs median were from 0.0065 μg/kg and 0.26 μg/kg in cocoa products to 0.20 μg/kg and 3.72 μg/kg in fat-and-oil products, respectively. High, approaching the maximum, contamination levels of BP reached 1.29 μg/kg in fat-and-oil products, and the sum of 4PAHs was 7.87 μg/kg in smoked fish products. The highest levels of contamination of BP were observed in cocoa butter (2.11 μg/kg), in mayonnaise (1.45 μg/kg), in margarine (1.29 μg/kg), and the sum of 4PAHs – in pork chips of smoked sausages (10.11 μg/kg), in cocoa butter (9.27 μg/kg), in poultry snacks (7.77 μg/kg). Hygienic evaluation of the results didn’t reveal an excess of the maximum allowable levels of BP and the amount of 4PAH in all samples of food products studied.

Conclusions. Due to the high hygienic importance of the compounds under discussion with carcinogenic properties, it is necessary to assess the health risk associated with the presence of these compounds in food products, taking into account the PAH mixture, depending on their individual contribution to the overall level of nutritional load and varying degrees of carcinogenic activity. It is necessary to develop and implement measures to reduce their level in the diet.

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