Influence of Different Cooking Methods on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Formation in Various Meat Types

When meat is cooked at high temperatures, several hazardous chemical contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may be formed. This study was conducted to determine the PAH4 (benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene) content of different meat types (veal, lamb, chicken and turkey) during cooking, and how these are influenced by the chemical composition and cooking methods (boiling, frying, roasting/baking, grilling and barbecuing). Some chemical properties of raw meats were also determined. PAH4 were analyzed by using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) unit equipped with a fluorescence detector. As a result, the concentration of PAH4 varies with meat type, chemical composition of meat and method of cooking. Total PAH4 levels ranged from 1.10 to 3.34 μg/kg in barbecued meat samples. The highest PAH4 levels were detected in chicken meat samples, followed by turkey meat. PAH4 levels detected in all meat samples for all cooking methods were below the Turkish Food Codex and EC limits