Speaker
Description
Smoking is one of the oldest methods of fish preservation, combining the effects of salting, drying, heating, and smoking. Smoke is a good preservative since it contains bactericidal and antioxidant properties. Depending on the smoking method, the amount of carcinogenic compounds in smoke varies. PAHs often function as a carcinogenic group found in smoked products and always be identified for their composition. Several PAHs compounds represent carcinogenic especially for smoked fish. The EU Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has identified 15 PAHs compounds as carcinogenic genotoxic i.e. Benzo[a]anthracene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo(j)fluoranthene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(ghi)perylene, Chrysene, Cyclopenta[cd]pyrene, Dibenz[a,h]anthracene, Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene, Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, and 5-Methylchrysene. This research aimed to determine the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in five samples of smoked fish, namely trout (Salmo trutta), tuna (Thunnus albacares), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), salmon (Salmo salar) and mullet (Mugil cephalus), processed in a smoking kiln, and collected from markets of different countries (Kosovo, Italy, United Kingdom, and Greece). The levels of these compounds were determined by a GC/MS technique in smoked fishery products. The content of all identified compounds, in individual fish species, was below the permissible limits following European regulations for the maximum permitted amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked products.
