Influence of different smoke generation methods on the contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and phenolic substances in Frankfurter-type sausages

•Frankfurter-type sausages were smoked, using different smoke generation methods.•GC/MS analysis of PAH and phenolic compounds of smoked sausages.•Smouldering smoke with high smoke density leads to the highest PAH contents.•Steam smoke leads to low PAH contents and high concentrations of phenolic compounds.•Friction smoke is the smoke generation method with the lowest contents of PAH and phenolic compounds.

The contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (15 + 1 EU priority PAH) and phenolic substances (guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, syringol, eugenol, and trans-isoeugenol) in smoked Frankfurter-type sausages were investigated depending on the smoke generation method applied in a total of 63 smoking experiments. The smoke was generated by smouldering with different air supplies (smouldering smoke), by leading overheated steam through wood chips (steam smoke), by friction of a log (friction smoke), and by heating plates (touch smoke). The type of smoke generator had a noticeable influence on the contents of PAH and phenolic compounds. The highest mean content of PAH4 (2.6 μg/kg) was observed for sausages when intensive smouldering smoke was applied, the lowest (0.3 μg/kg) in friction-smoked sausages. The highest mean sum content of the five phenolic compounds was observed for sausages smoked with steam smoke (45 mg/kg) whereas the contents in friction- (15 mg/kg) and touch- (18 mg/kg) smoked products were relatively low.