According to FAO/WHO experts, certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are genotoxic carcinogens. PAHs can contaminate food during smoking, grilling or drying processes using fumes, as well as through environmental contamination (fish and fish products are particularly at risk).
Raw food should normally not contain high levels of PAH. In areas remote from urban or industrial activities, PAH levels found in unprocessed foods reflect background pollution from long-range transport of contaminated particles and natural emissions from volcanoes and forest fires. In the vicinity of industrial areas or along motorways, PAH contamination of vegetation can be ten times higher than in rural areas.
For PAH, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, fundamental to pollution control in food, introduced maximum levels for the sum of four substances (PAH4, i.e., benzo(a)pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene), while retaining a separate maximum level for benzo(a)pyrene. The maximum levels apply to oils and fats, cocoa beans and products derived of them, as well as to smoked meat and products thereof, smoked fish meat and products thereof, fishery products, processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children, infant and follow-on formulae and dietary foods for special medical purposes.
The J.S. Hamilton Poland laboratory performs analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food and feed using the high-performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection according to the PB117/HPLC procedure. The method is accredited in the flexible range.
If you are looking for a reliable partner to conduct tests for your food products, do not hesitate and get in touch with our team at J.S. Hamilton today.
