Reduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in common carp meat smoked in traditional conditions

ABSTRACT

Common carp meat was smoked in traditional conditions without filter and with zeolite, granular activated carbon, and gravel filters. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of using different filters in traditional smoking conditions on 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the Environmental Protection Agency list (16 US-EPA PAHs). Determination and quantification of PAHs were performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). According to the obtained results, all examined samples of common carp meat smoked in traditional conditions were safe for consumers regarding to the European Commission Regulation on PAH content. After statistical analysis, the zeolite filter appeared to be the best one based on food safety of traditional production of smoked common carp meat. Application of any of these filters to produce smoked common carp meat in traditional conditions resulted in a safer product, as lower levels of PAHs were obtained.

KEYWORDS:

• PAHs
• fish
• zeolite filter
• granular activated carbon filter
• gravel filter
• carp
• smoked

Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Serbia, grant number TR 31011/2011-2016. This paper represents a part of the doctoral thesis of the first author (J.B.). We would like to thank the cooperation of the traditional smoked common carp meat producers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnološkog Razvoja [TR31011].