Concentrations of environmental organic contaminants in meat and meat products and human dietary exposure: A review

- According to the IARC (2015), the consumption of red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans.
- The IARC does not make any reference to the role of carcinogenic contaminants present in raw/unprocessed meats.
- The scientific literature on the levels of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and PAHs in meat and meat products is here reviewed.
- The consumption of meat and meat products is not the main responsible of the dietary exposure to carcinogenic pollutants.

Meat and meat products is one of the most relevant food groups in an important number of human diets. Recently, the IARC, based on results of a number of epidemiological studies, classified the consumptions of red meat and processed meat as “probably carcinogenic to humans” and as “carcinogenic to humans”, respectively. It was suggested that the substances responsible of the potential carcinogenicity would be mainly generated during meat processing, such as curing and smoking, or when meat is heated at high temperatures. However, the exposure to environmental pollutants through meat consumption was not discussed. The purpose of the present paper was to review recent studies reporting the concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and PAHs in meat and meat products, as well as the human exposure to these pollutants through the diet. It is concluded that the health risks derived from exposure to carcinogenic environmental contaminants must be considered in the context of each specific diet, which besides meat and meat products, includes other foodstuffs containing also chemical pollutants, some of them with carcinogenic potential. Anyhow, meat and meat products are not the main food group responsible of the dietary exposure to carcinogenic (or probably carcinogenic) environmental organic pollutants.