Effects of Smoking Temperature, Smoking Time, and Type of Wood Sawdust on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Accumulation Levels in Directly Smoked Pork Sausages

Abstract

Smoking is an excellent food preservation method but also a source of contamination of foodstuffs with carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Herein we investigated the influence of smoking temperature, smoking time, and type of wood sawdust used as smoke source on PAH levels attained through controlled smoking of pork sausages. Four PAHs (benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene) were monitored, as required by European Commission Regulation 835/2011. PAH concentrations increased continuously both with higher temperatures (55−95 °C) and with longer smoking periods (2−9 h), although the level of benzo[a]pyrene exhibited a tendency to plateau after 6 h. Among seven types of hardwoods tested, plum, alder, and birch yielded PAH concentrations considerably higher than that of commonly used beech, and oak showed similar levels to beech while apple and, to a lesser extent, walnut caused lower levels of sausage contamination. These findings could guide the establishment of good practices in the smoked meat industry.

Effect of processing smoked salmon on contaminant contents

“…In the literature it is described that the replacement of natural smoking by liquid smoking may reduce PAH contamination (Codex, 2009). Other critical factors to consider in the smoking process are temperature and time which should be as low and short as possible, from а point of view of food safety and product shelf life; а higher temperature and prolonged smoking time increases the PAHs of the product (Essumang et al, 2013, Racovita et al, 2020. Regarding salting, significant differences (p < 0.0001)…”

Simultaneous Determination of Typical Chlorinated, Oxygenated, and European Union Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Milk Samples and Milk Powders

“…Furthermore, the EU introduced regulations for a variety of foods in which BaP and PAH4 (BaP, BaA, BbF, and Chr) are both strictly limited to lower than 1.0 μg/kg in infant foods. Currently, PAH indicators on the EU list, such as PAH4 and PAH8 (BaP, BaA, BbF, Chr, BkF, DahA, BghiP, and IP), have been recognized by most researchers in food safety. − To the best of our knowledge, very few information is available on the whole EU 15 + 1 PAHs in dairy products, except for a report on the sixth interlaboratory comparison organized by the European Union Reference Laboratory for EU 15 + 1 PAHs in infant formula . Little has become known about the whole EU 15 + 1 PAHs in liquid milk samples.…”

Probing the impact of conventional oil frying on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rabbit meat

“…At high temperatures, cooking of food via pan‐frying, deep‐frying and grilling oil produce adverse substances including, PAHs, particulate matter, carbonyl, and volatile organic compounds (Ghorbani et al., 2020). Oil smoke behaves as the main source for PAHs in kitchens as well as indoor areas (Racovita et al., 2020).…”

“…According to SCF (Scientific Committee on Food), JECFA (Expert Committee on Food Additives), FAO/WHO (the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/ World Health Organization), and USEPA (United State Environmental Protection Agency), 15 PAHs have been considered carcinogenic, mutagenic, and cytotoxic to humans (Authority, 2008; Racovita et al., 2020).…”