Kinetics of sunflower oil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated recycled low density polyethylene film

Development of a novel certified reference material for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in whey protein powder

Matrix-based certified reference materials (CRMs) play a central role in the analysis of food contaminants for ensuring measurement accuracy and comparability, as they exhibit the same matrix effects during sample preparation and measurement as the food sample under investigation. However, the availability of such CRMs is still limited. This is also true for matrix CRMs containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), for which maximum levels in food are set in the EU by the Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 and in Switzerland by the regulation SR 817.022.15. Therefore, a whey protein powder-based certified reference material (WP-CBR001) was developed according to the requirements of ISO 17034 and the recommendations of ISO Guide 35:2017 containing the four PAHs benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and chrysene (Chr). We show that the choice of solvent is of crucial importance to extract the PAHs completely from this matrix. Only polar and protic solvents such as methanol or water provided access for complete extraction of the PAHs. In contrast, nonpolar and polar aprotic solvents, such as n-hexane or ethyl acetate, exhibited only very low extraction efficiencies below 20%. The certified mass fractions and expanded uncertainties (k = 2) were (3.17 ± 0.32) µg/kg BaA, (4.18 ± 0.48) µg/kg BaP, (4.73 ± 0.49) µg/kg BbF, and (2.85 ± 0.33) µg/kg Chr. These values were verified by an interlaboratory comparison study and by the gravimetric mass fractions obtained from production data.

A Review on the Occurrence and Analytical Determination of PAHs in Olive Oils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental and processing contaminants, which may contaminate vegetable oils due to atmospheric fall-out or bad production practices. Due to their carcinogenic and toxic effects, surveillance schemes and mitigation strategies are needed to monitor human exposure to PAHs. In particular, due to the lipophilic nature of these substances, edible oils may present unsafe levels of these compounds. Among these, olive oil, and in particular extra virgin olive oil, is a high-value commodity, also known for its health benefits. Therefore, the occurrence of contaminants in this product is not only of health concern but also causes economic and image damage. In this review, an overview of the occurrence of PAHs in all categories of olive oil is provided, as well as a description of the official methods available and the analytical developments in the last 10 years.

The effects of extracting procedures on occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most hazardous naturally occurring chemical contaminants of food. Edible oils are easily contaminated by PAHs generated during high-temperature processing steps such as oil extraction and refining. In this study, the effects of different extraction methods on the levels of PAHs in sesame oils and red pepper seed oils were assessed. GC-MS was used to determine the levels of PAHs in edible oils. Sesame oils extracted from seeds by plate-pressing extraction method had lower levels of PAHs than those extracted by screw-expeller extraction method from sesame flour. Furthermore, the levels of PAHs increased by 62.2% when the extraction time was longer. Notably, the PAHs already present in oils could be effectively reduced by refining procedures such as sinking, centrifugation, filtration, and neutralization with alkali.

Modern Procedures for Removal of Hazardous Compounds From Foods

This chapter deals with interactions between foods or food additives and plastic package materials oriented to elimination of hazardous compounds from foods. As found, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be effectively eliminated from liquid smoke flavors and smoked meat products by migration of PAHs into low-density polyethylene (LDPE), when the limiting factor of the elimination is diffusion in food matrix. After leaving food bulk, PAHs migrate deeper into LDPE bulk what brings about permanent renewal of material imbalance on LDPE/food matrix interface that maintains the migration process in an intensive regime causing extensive lowering of PAH content in food matrix. To the opposite, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in contact with vegetable oils is able to absorb only PAHs on active center deposited on its surface without deeper migration into plastic bulk and therefore this type of elimination process is less effective. Overall, migration processes are affected by polarity of food matrix and package materials, presence of compounds able to compete for adsorption center on PET surface, the time of interactions, and, of course, imbalance of PAH chemical potentials in individual systems.

Assessing contamination of smoked sprats (Sprattus sprattus) with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and changes in its level during storage in various types of packaging

The analysis of material used in this study demonstrated that the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked sprats varies from the level below the lowest detection limit in muscles up to 9.99 µg kg^-1 of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in fish skin. Such a high level of PAHs in skin was reported only in one of six batches of sprats, while mean BaP level was at 1.69 µg kg^-1. Regardless such a high BaP level in skin, its concentration in muscles did not exceed the maximum acceptable level. The study objective was to assess to what extent packaging materials adsorb PAH compounds from food. Changes in the PAH levels were monitored in fish during their storage in packages made of various materials. The storage time was from 0 to 168 hours. The obtained results varied considerably, therefore their scatter did not allow to confirm unequivocally the preliminary hypothesis about the reduction of PAHs due to their migration to packaging material. However, analysis of the packaging used in this study demonstrated a significant increase in the level of total 16 PAHs. When high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging was analysed, a six-fold increase in the total 16 PAHs was observed comparing to the blank sample.

Overview on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: occurrence, legislation and innovative determination in foods

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous compounds, well-known to be carcinogenic, which can reach the food in different ways. Thus the analysis of such compounds has always been of great importance. The aim of the present review, is not only to give an overview of the most recent sample preparation and analytical approaches (such as pressurized liquid extraction, solid-phase microextraction, supercritical fluid extraction, etc.), but also to introduce such a topic to researchers who want to approach it for the first time; therefore, the most significant references related to general aspects, such as formation, toxicity, risk assessment, occurrence in food, are reported and briefly discussed.

Development and optimisation of a dopant assisted liquid chromatographic-atmospheric pressure photo ionisation-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of 15+1 EU priority PAHs in edible oils

European food legislation defines a set of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as of high concern for human health. The EU set contains structurally very similar PAHs with ring numbers between 4 and 6, and so raises some separation aspects and problems, which were not experienced with traditionally analysed PAHs. Many of the currently applied gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC-MS) methods suffer from separation problems, while high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) is neither capable of detecting the whole set of EU priority PAHs nor does it (compared to GC-MS) allow structural identification. In addition HPLC-FLD shows limitations with difficult matrices due to interferences. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap by describing a liquid chromatographic dopant assisted atmospheric pressure photo ionisation tandem mass spectrometric (LC-DA-APPI-MS/MS) method for the determination of 15+1 EU priority PAHs in edible oil, which complies with the requirements set by European food legislation. Measurements were performed in positive ion mode. Anisole at a flow rate of 30 μl/min was used as dopant. Sample preparation was performed offline by donor-acceptor complex chromatography (DACC). Compared to HPLC-FLD methods the presented method enables the determination of all 15+1 EU priority PAHs at the low μg/kg concentration range including less fluorescence active compounds like benzo[j]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene. By analysing four reference materials it could be demonstrated that this method provides accurate results and is sufficiently sensitive for food control purposes. Statistically significant differences between the reference values and the measured analyte contents were not found. The method performs well also for very complex samples. Repeatability relative standard deviations (RSDr) of the determination of the target PAHs in olive oil were for most analytes below 5%. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method met the requirement set by EU legislation (0.3 μg/kg).

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vegetable oils using solid-phase microextraction–comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A simple and fast solid-phase microextraction method coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible oil, performed directly in a hexane solution of the oil. Sampling conditions (solvent used, extraction time, extraction temperature and fiber rinsing time) were optimized by using a sample of oil fortified with a standard solution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The method was validated by calculating linear range, correlation coefficient, accuracy, repeatability, detection limit and quantification limit. The method was applied to several oils collected from the market and directly from an olive pomace extraction plant.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat products and smoke flavouring food additives

Formation, factors affecting concentrations, legal limits and occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat products and smoke flavour additives are briefly reviewed. The most used techniques such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are evaluated. Also, sample preparation, pre-separation procedures, separation and detection systems being used for determination are discussed with emphasis to latest development in applied food analysis and the chosen data regarding the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat products and smoke flavour additives are summarised.

Gas and liquid chromatography of hydrocarbons in edible vegetable oils

Hydrocarbons, an important part of the minor constituents belonging to vegetable oils are reviewed. Their importance, origin, characterization and detection in edible vegetable oils are considered. The determination of some of them as a means of establishing oil quality and genuineness is also highlighted. The official methodologies, as well as the most commonly procedures used for isolation and analysis are reviewed. Furthermore, novel procedures applying new techniques for determining those compounds are also presented.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible fats and oils: occurrence and analytical methods

This review deals with analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) determination in oils and fats. The data reported in the introduction deal with PAH dietary intake from this group of food and contamination levels recently found by some authors in different vegetable oils, stressing the importance of establishing a method suitable for routine analyses. Traditional sample preparation relies on tedious, time-consuming procedures. They generally consist of an extraction step (liquid-liquid partition, caffeine complexation, saponification) followed by one or more purification procedures (column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, solid-phase extraction). The analytical determination is usually carried out by HPLC and spectrofluorometric detection, or through high-resolution capillary GC coupled to flame ionisation detection or mass spectrometry. LC is a valid alternative to the traditional sample preparation, and off-line LC-LC allows performing an accurate PAH analysis in less than 2 h. Also supercritical fluid extraction, allowing performing both extraction and clean-up in one combined step, is a promising technique. Hyphenated techniques such as LC-GC and LC-LC-GC seem to be very promising. A completely on-line method for alkylated PAH determination in oils or lipidic extracts contaminated with mineral oil involves a two-dimensional LC-step with intermediate eluent evaporation and GC transfer through a vaporiser/overflow interface.

Food as a source of polycyclic aromatic carcinogens

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) belong to a large chemical family comprising many different compounds with important biological activity in mutagenic and carcinogenic processes. PAH have been detected in both raw and processed foods. The presence of PAH in non-processed foods is associated with environmental pollution from both human and industrial activities, whereas contamination of processed foods can be caused by certain preservation and processing procedures. Both toxicological and epidemiological studies have shown a relation between such compounds and tumor development. The data indicate that PAH must undergo a biotransformation process that causes the formation of biologically active metabolites. In this process, the presence of an enzyme complex that is induced by different xenobiotics is implied, making the toxicity of such compounds hard to predict. As setting a threshold limit below which toxicity could be considered negligible is difficult, the presence of PAH in foodstuffs should be reduced to as low as possible by controlling environmental contamination and all procedures that could cause PAH contamination during food processing, preserving, and packaging.