1 Scope
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 -...