Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in milk powders marketed in Uruguay

Presence of Halogenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Milk Powder and the Consequence to Human Health

Recent reports of the presence of halogenated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in human foods of animal origin, such as chlorinated (ClPAHs) and brominated (BrPAHs) PAHs, suggest that their contamination in dairy products may also pose a human health risk. This study used GC/Orbitrap-MS to analyze 75 congeners of halogenated PAHs and parent PAHs in milk and creaming powder samples commonly found in grocery stores in Sri Lanka and Japan. Our investigation revealed a total of 31 halogenated PAHs (HPAHs) in the samples. The concentrations of total parent PAHs in the samples from Sri Lanka and Japan ranged from not detected (n.d.)−0.13 and <0.001−16 ng/g dry weight (d.w.). Total ClPAHs and BrPAHs in the samples ranged from 0.01−3.35 and 1.20−5.15 ng/g (d.w.) for Sri Lanka, and 0.04−2.54 and n.d.−2.03 ng/g d.w. for Japan, respectively. The ClPAHs were dominated by chlorinated-pyrene, -fluoranthene, and -benzo[a]pyrene congeners, whereas the BrPAHs were dominated by brominated-naphthalene and -pyrene congeners. The toxic assessment estimated based on the intake of toxic equivalency quotients (TEQs) for target compounds in milk powders revealed that HPAHs might contribute additively to the PAHs-associated health risk to humans, indicating that more research is needed.

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.

Simultaneous Determination of Typical Chlorinated, Oxygenated, and European Union Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Milk Samples and Milk Powders

An increasing number of studies have suggested that PAH contamination in dairy products demands high concern. This study established an efficient determination method for the European Union 15 + 1 PAHs and four PAH derivatives in dairy samples using a QuEChERS method coupled with GC-QqQ-MS. The optimized method obtained a recovery of 63.38-109.17% with a precision of 3.82-15.62%, and the limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.08-0.78 and 0.27-2.59 μg/kg, respectively. The validated method was then successfully applied to identify the 20 PAHs in 82 dairy samples, including 43 commercial milk samples and 39 milk powders. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 2.37 to 11.83 μg/kg, and benzo[a]pyrene was only quantified in one milk and one milk powder sample at 0.35 and 0.42 μg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of PAH4 in milk samples and milk powders were not quantified (nq)-3.99 and nq-4.51 μg/kg, respectively. The results confirmed the appreciable occurrence of PAHs in dairy products, especially in infant formula. The data in this study provide a scientific basis for assessment on origin tracing, dietary exposure, and health risk of PAHs and their derivatives.

Distribution and Health Hazards of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Egyptian Milk and Dairy-Based Products

In a market-basket study conducted in Cairo, Egypt, the most commonly consumed milk products were sampled and the contents of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector. The obtained data showed that the total amount of 13 PAHs was within the range of 1.3–8.2 µg/g. The results proved that the, highest mean levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in powdered milk (8.2 μg/g) followed by ultra-heat treatment milk and milk beverages (6.07 μg/g). The lowest level was detected in unsmoked cheese and yogurt (1.3 μg/g). Estimated daily intake (EDI) was used to estimate the carcinogenic risk. The total mean estimated daily intake for children in different age categories (1–10 years) was calculated with respect to benzo[a]pyrene, which ranged from 0.058 to 0.31 mg/day. The total mean value of EDI for the sum of seven carcinogenic PAHs in terms of benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 0.61 to 1.22 mg/day in all age categories. These results were higher than the critical limit set by the European Food Safety Authority. Therefore, there should be concerns regarding the effects of the consumption of different milk products on the local population.