Contamination of smoked meat and fish products from Polish market with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

- Traditionally smoked products were characterized by higher PAHs contamination.
- Higher levels of PAHs were found in the products of smaller diameters and sizes.
- The maximum PAHs content were determined in the canned smoked sprats in oil.
- Canned smoked sprats in oil exceeded PAHs levels given in EU Regulation.
- Products with smoke flavourings were characterized by the lowest PAHs contents.

The aim of this work was to determine the level of contamination of different kinds of commercial smoked meat and fish products from Polish market with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for which the limiting values are established in the Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1125. These PAHs are benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and the sum of the following four PAHs: benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbFA) and chrysene (Chr). The research materials were fish, meat and chicken products smoked by the industrial or traditional techniques. The research methods included process of saponification of the samples, extraction of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons fraction, and then qualitative and quantitative determination of PAHs by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method (HPLC-FLD). The highest BaP content and the sum of the four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (4PAHs) (36.51 mg/kg and 73.01 mg/kg, respectively) were found in canned smoked sprats in oil and these values exceeded the maximum levels given in the Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1125. The analyzed products smoked by traditional technique contained significantly more PAHs as compared to the products smoked by the industrial technique or produced with smoke flavourings.