Effects of grilling and roasting on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in beef and pork

The concentrations of seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) viz. chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene in 150 samples of commercial meat products were determined. The PAHs were extracted with hexane, purified with Sep-Pak Florisil cartridges and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescence detector. Levels of PAHs were dependent on the method of cooking and type of heat source used. Relatively high levels of PAHs, 10.2 μg/kg on average, were found in charcoal-grilled pork samples. Average PAH levels in beef did not exceed 0.80 μg/kg. Charcoal grilling of pork samples resulted in extremely high levels of benzo(a)pyrene (3.0 μg/kg), while the average benzo(a)pyrene levels in charcoal-grilled beef samples were 0.15 μg/kg. These data can be used to estimate the dietary exposure of consumers to PAHs and to assess any potential risk associated with the ingestion of these foods.