Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content and chemical composition of home-made (non)smoked cooked cheeses

Sa？etak In this study the chemical composition and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content was evaluated of home-made smoked and non-smoked cooked cheeses. Three batches of cooked cheese, smoked cooked cheese, cooked cheese with hot pepper, and smoked cooked cheese with hot pepper were produced. Samples were tested for their content of proteins, fat, moisture, ash and fiber by standard chemical methods. The PAH content was measured by gas chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry detection (GCMS/MS). The non-smoked cheeses showed the following composition: 17.84 ± 2.46 % of proteins, 23.01 ± 1.99 % of fat, 46.62 ± 13.09 % of moisture, 1.11 ± 0.24 % of fibers and 4.00 ±0.43 % of ash. The average values measured in the smoked cheeses were 19.90 ± 0.89 % (P<0.05), 23.94 ± 2.98 %, 47.80 ± 4.31 %, 1.00 ± 0.21 %, 3.95 ± 0.76 and 3.95 ± 0.76 %, respectively. An average PAH concentration of 17.85 ± 8.85 μg/kg and 311.765 ± 269.2 μg/kg (P<0.01) was found in non-smoked and smoked cheeses, respectively. Among the 16 PAH tested, only naphthalene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene were found. Two samples were positive for benz[a]anthracene in low concentrations (0.359 μg/kg and 0.166 μg/kg). Benzo[a]pyrene content was below the limit of quantification in all samples. PAH concentrations correlated positively with fat content (R=0.91), and negatively with cheese moisture (R=–0.87). These results indicate the low risk from hazardous PAHs from consumption of traditional smoked cooked cheeses