Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in smoked meat products and liquid smokes

Within the group,of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) there exist carcinogenic substances. They are formed during the incomplete incineration of organic material and consequently also during smoking processes. The PAH include about 250 different compounds, 16 PAHs are considered as especially hazardous to health and environment by the U.S. Environmental ProtectioncAgency (EPA). Benzo[a]pyrene is used as a leading substance. At the Federal Centre for Meat Research (BAFF) since 1978 the contents of benzo[a]pyrene in about 1000 smoked meat products were investigated. With the years subsiding contents of benzo[a]pyrene were detected. Very recently we developed a GC/HRMS-method in order to determine the contents of the other relevant PAHs in smoked meat products and liquid smokes, from which 6 compounds are proven to be carcinogenic in animal experiments.