Levels of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]anthracene in smoked “Provola” cheese from Calabria (Italy)

Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Smoked Cheeses Made in Poland by HPLC Method

Smoked cheeses are particularly popular among consumers for their flavor and aroma. Of interest, therefore, is the health aspect related to the likelihood of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known carcinogens found in smoked products. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked and non-smoked cheeses purchased in Poland to monitor their safety. The level of selected PAHs in cheese samples was determined using the HPLC-DAD-FLD method. Most of the cheeses tested met the maximum level of benzo[a]pyrene (2 μg/kg) and the sum of benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene (12 μg/kg) established for these products. However, all the cheeses studied in this work had relatively low amounts of the sum of these compounds compared to the information available in the cheese literature, ranging from Collapse

Key Words

• European Union priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• food analysis
• organic contaminants
• smoked cheeses

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MESH Headings

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis
• Chrysenes
• Smoke
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
• Benzo(a)pyrene/analysis
• Poland
• Acenaphthenes
• Cheese
• Fluorenes
• Phenanthrenes
• Carcinogens
• Anthracenes

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Grants

• Project No. 010/RID/2018/19 Project financially supported by the Minister of Education and Science under the program entitled "Regional Initiative of Excellence" for the years 2019-2022, Project No. 010/RID/2018/19, amount of funding 12.000.000 PLN.

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Affiliation(s)

Magdalena Polak-Śliwińska Department of Commodity Science and Food Analysis, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland
Beata Paszczyk Department of Commodity Science and Food Analysis, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland
Mariusz Śliwiński Dairy Industry Innovation Institute Ltd., Kormoranów 1, 11-700 Mrągowo, Poland

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Collaborators Collapse

Concentrations, influencing factors, risk assessment methods, health hazards and analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dairies: a review

The occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dairies has been widely reported. Consumers may be overly exposed to PAHs through dairies causing health risks. Hazards can be reduced by controlling influencing factors in the full-chain of dairy production. This review briefly introduces research trends and analytical methods concerning PAHs in dairies. Additionally, this review discusses influencing factors of PAH concentrations in various dairies to avoid PAHs' formation and accumulation during manufacture. Relevant regulations are referred to and the reported risk assessment methods are summarized. Furthermore, indicators of health risks including TEQBaP, the number and the rate of over-standard are calculated based on PAH concentrations. Through analyses, we find PAH and BaP contamination in dairies are complex problems depending on environment, processing and storage. There was a significant correlation between fat contents and PAH concentrations. Results of infant formula in certain research were worrying and those of smoked cheeses are remarkably high indicating the dangerous smoking process. It is significant to monitor PAHs and calculate TEQBaP from meadows to feeders. Moreover, the existing regulations are insufficient and need strengthening. The data and discussions in this review contribute to worldwide Big Data, further scientific investigation and regulations for PAHs in dairies.

Presença de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos em produtos alimentícios e a sua relação com o método de cocção e a natureza do alimento

Resumo Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos (HPA) podem estar associados à carcinogênese em humanos. Tais compostos penetram no organismo pelo trato gastrointestinal, o que faz da dieta uma importante via de contaminação. O objetivo desta revisão é analisar a relação entre a formação/ingestão desses compostos e a alimentação. Foi encontrada associação direta do método de cocção empregado com o aumento dos níveis de HPA nos alimentos e a formação de novos compostos. A fonte térmica aplicada, a composição do alimento, o tipo de óleo utilizado, especialmente nos processos de fritura, bem como o tipo de tratamento empregado ao alimento antes da cocção, são fatores que influenciam o teor de HPA no produto final. A legislação brasileira é pouco abrangente em relação a esses compostos e a necessidade de ampliação das normas nacionais se torna ainda mais evidente quando este tema é visto como uma questão de Segurança de Alimentos.

Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked buffalo mozzarella cheese produced in Campania Region, Italy

BACKGROUND

Smoked mozzarella is obtained through traditional smoking techniques or the use of liquid smoke. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may be produced during the organic matrix combustion. The aim of this study was to evaluate benzo[a]pyrene (B(a)P), benzo[a]anthracene (B(a)A), benzo[b]fluoranthene (B(b)FA), benzo[k]fluoranthene (B(k)FA), benzo[ghi]perylene (B(g,h,i)PE), chrysene (CHR), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DB(a,h)A) and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP) in smoked buffalo mozzarella produced in Campania, evaluating also the influence of the different smoking techniques. Milk and mozzarella of the same batch, before and after smoking, were collected. The detection method was basic hydrolysis, clean-up with silica and detection by HPLC equipped with a fluorescence detector.

RESULTS

For milk, only 30% was contaminated. In non-smoked products the medians were >LODs only for B(a)A and CHR. In smoked mozzarellas the highest median was 0.37 ng g(-1) wet weight (CHR).

CONCLUSION

It was found that the consumption of this typical food of Campania does not represent a risk for consumers, considering that the incidences on EFSA dietary intake were always lower than 1.5% for mozzarella cheese and lower than 3% for smoked mozzarella cheese.