This Technical Specification specifies a method for the determination of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) plus benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR) in several food matrices. The method is based on size exclusion chromatography (SEC) cleanup, followed by quantification with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with programmable fluorescence detection. This method has been in-house validated via the analysis of spiked samples of edible olive oil, fresh mussels, smoked fish, smoked meat products, processed cereal-based foods for young children, infant formulae, chocolate and food supplements (isoflavones) at levels ranging from 0,25 μg/kg to 1,00 μg/kg and from 4,95 μg/kg to 23,53 µg/kg, depending on the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) or the matrix. This method complies with the performance characteristics specified for BaP, BaA, BbF and CHR in current legislation [3].

The method has been shown to be applicable to a variety of additional matrices as meat products, fresh fish, paprika, roasted coffee, bread, herbs, breakfast cereals, beer, sunflower oil, olives and fried tomato, with a limit of quantification below 0,5 µg/kg.

In addition, the method was tested in-house and shown to be applicable also for the quantification of the other 12 PAHs of the 15+1 EU priority PAHs set (benzo[c]fluorene (BcL), benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), cyclopenta[cd]pyrene (CPP), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DhA), dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (DeP), benzo[ghi]perylene (BgP), dibenzo[a,h]pyrene (DhP), dibenzo[a,i]pyrene (DiP), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DlP), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcP), 5-methylchrysene (5MC)) in all matrices listed above and at similar level ranges, except for CPP, where a UV detection had to be used with limits of quantification above 8 µg/kg.

For the determination of PAHs in edible fats and oils, two other standards are also available, EN ISO 22959 and EN ISO 15753 (see [1] and [2]).