Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are dangerous chemical compounds that can
be formed by cooking foods at high temperatures. The aim of this study is to
determine the level of contamination of PAH compounds with high performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) on heat treated meat samples and the consumption of
PAH compounds in meat samples, as well as the dietary exposure status and
possible health risk estimation. In five different heat treated meat samples
(meat doner, chicken doner, meatballs, grilled chicken, and fish), the total PAH
(Σ16PAH) contamination level was 6.08, 4.42, 4.45, 4.91, and 7.26
μg/kg, respectively. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in meatballs and grilled fish
samples had a level 0.70 and 0.73 μg/kg. All of the samples analyzed were
found to be below the EU permitted limit (5 μg/kg) in terms of BaP.
Estimates of daily intake (EDI) for a total of 16PAH in heat treated meat doner,
chicken doner, meatballs, grilled chicken and fish samples were 3.41, 3.71,
2.49, 4.12, and 1.77 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. In this study, the average
margin of exposure (MOE) value calculated was found in the range of 179.487 and
425.000 for BaP and PAH4. This study is the first study to provide important
information in terms of evaluating the possible health risk that PAH compounds
can create in people’s diets due to heat treatment of meat and meat
products in Sivas, Turkey.