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Food Heating and the Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mutagens/Carcinogens

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Impact of Processing on Food Safety

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 459))

Abstract

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are mutagens and animal carcinogens sometimes formed when foods are heated or processed. Determining their role in cancer etiology depends on comparing human exposures and determining any significant dose-related effect. Chemical analysis of foods shows that flame-grilling can form both PAH and HAA, and that frying forms predominantly HAA. With detection limits of about 0.1 ng/g, amounts found in commercially processed or restaurant foods range from 0.1 to 14 ng/g for HAA, and levels of PAH up to 1 ng/g in a liquid smoke flavoring. Laboratory fried samples have greater amounts of PAH, up to 38 ng/g in hamburgers, and high levels of HAA, over 300 ng/g, are measured in grilled chicken breast. Understanding the processing conditions that form PAH and HAA can lead to methods to greatly reduce their occurrence in processed foods.

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Abbreviations

B[a]A:

benzo[a]anthracene

B[a]P:

benzo[a]pyrene

B[b]F:

benzo[b]fluoranthene

B[k]F:

benzo[k]fluoranthene

DBA:

dibenzo[a,h]anthracene

DiMeIQx:

2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline

Indenopyrene:

indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene

MeIQx:

2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline

PhIP:

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology and Biotechnology Research Program Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P. O. Box 808, Livermore, California, 94551-9900, USA

    Mark G. Knize, Cynthia P. Salmon, Pilar Pais & James S. Felton

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  1. Mark G. Knize
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  2. Cynthia P. Salmon
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  3. Pilar Pais
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Summit-Argo, Illinois, USA

    Lauren S. Jackson

  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA

    Mark G. Knize

  3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Jeffrey N. Morgan

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Knize, M.G., Salmon, C.P., Pais, P., Felton, J.S. (1999). Food Heating and the Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mutagens/Carcinogens. In: Jackson, L.S., Knize, M.G., Morgan, J.N. (eds) Impact of Processing on Food Safety. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 459. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4853-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4853-9_12

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