Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of complex compounds containing two or more benzene rings, are widely found in the environment and food. PAHs are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic matter, such as wood utilized in cooking and food preparation. They have attracted wide attention due to studies which have shown the teratogenicity and carcinogenicity of PAH compounds. For humans, food intake is one of the main sources of PAH exposure, and can be the result of contamination from anthropogenic sources, food processing or cooking practices.
In this paper, a validated method employing accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) on silica and analytical determination by GC/MS was applied for the detection of PAHs in smoked meat. The results demonstrate that the method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of 24 PAHs in smoked meat with good efficiency, accuracy and reproducibility.