EFSA calls for legislation on PAHs

The findings are contained in a report of a survey released by the European Food Standards Authority (EFSA). The bloc's food safety assessment body called for possible legislation to ensure PAH levels are below maximum permitted levels. Increasingly pinpointed by consumer organisations as a food safety issue in the supply chain, PAHs are a group of about 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal and oil, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. Consumers might be exposed to PAHs by eating grilled or charred meats, contaminated cereals, flour, bread, vegetables, fruits, meats as well as processed or pickled foods. Some of the chemicals have been identified as carcenogenic. Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 as amended by Regulation 208/2005 sets maximum levels for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), specifically benzo[a]pyrene, in certain foods. EFSA began the survey, relying on the resources or member country regulators to develop a database on the chemical PAHs in certain foods. The samples belonging to food categories covered by Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 exceeded the respective limits for benzo[a]pyrene in up to 2.2 per cent of the cases, EFSA reported. "However, some other PAHs were present at higher or much higher levels,"​ the report stated. "Testing of some other food categories revealed relatively high levels of several PAHs in cocoa butter and food supplements while dried fruit and canned smoked fish had considerably lower levels."​ EFSA also found a lack of reporting of production conditions associated with the different samples. "It was possible to elucidate that smoking temperature had a significant influence on the formation of PAH in that higher temperatures were associated with higher PAH levels,"​ EFSA found. EFSA said the survey also showed that the assumption that benzo[a]pyrene is a good indicator of any PAH contamination is "dubious". On average the total PAH levels, including benzo[a]pyrene, were 20 times higher than benzo[a]pyrene alone rather than an assumed maximum factor of 10. Results varied across food categories and the different PAHs. Chrysene was the most problematic compound with 22 percent of positives with levels of up to 50 µg/kg found in samples negative for benzo[a]pyrene. Benzo[c]fluorene had the second highest maximum of, with almost 27 µg/kg found in a sample testing negative for benzo[a]pyrene. "In view of these findings, the suitability of maintaining benzo[a]pyrene as a marker needs to be carefully assessed, alongside with other possible risk management options,"​ EFSA concluded. "The results also point to a problem with high levels of PAH found in cocoa butter and food supplements that might be considered for legislative action, while it seems possible to produce dried fruits and canned smoked fish without elevated levels of PAH."​ A total of sixteen member states submitted results from testing of 7,786 food samples belonging to 99 different Codex food categories for the presence of up to 25 different PAHs, including the 16 priority compounds. The maximum concentration recorded for any PAH was 690 µg/kg of benzo[b]fluoranthene in a food supplement, while 36 per cent of samples tested negative for any PAH. Benzo[a]pyrene levels over the detection limit were found in 78 of the 99 Codex food categories or in 48 per cent of the samples tested. A total of 20 food categories or 5.4 per cent of the samples had levels exceeding 1 µg/kg and eight food categories or 0.7 per cent of the samples had levels exceeding 10 µg/kg. A number of PAHs have been shown to be genotoxic carcinogens. In 2002, the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) reviewed PAH toxicity. For 15 compounds it concluded that there was clear evidence for their toxicity. In 2005, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) performed a risk assessment on PAHs, and basically agreed with the SCF selection, downgraded one substance from the SCF list, and nominated one further compound for observation in food. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) can be formed from a variety of combustion and pyrolysis processes. Humans can be exposed to PAHs through different routes. For non-smokers, the major route of exposure is from food with a minor contribution from inhaled air. In cigarette smokers, the contribution from smoking and food may be of similar magnitude, EFSA found. Food can be contaminated from environmental sources, industrial food processing and from home food preparation.