Researchers have demonstrated the potential of an emerging test for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food, simplifying the analytical process and improving detection efficiency when compared to conventional methods.

PAHs: Potentially Carcinogenic Food Contaminant

PAHs are potentially carcinogenic compounds that can contaminate food during high-heat cooking processes. For example, PAHs can form when fat and juices from meat drip onto a hot surface or open flame, creating smoke that deposits the compounds onto food. PAHs can also form through the process of smoking.

Several PAHs are considered probably or possibly carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO’s IARC) and are also listed as “known animal carcinogens” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), rodent studies have shown that exposure to PAHs can cause cancer, although the exposure doses in these studies were very high—equivalent to thousands of times the amount a person would consume in a normal diet. Population studies have not yet established a definitive link between PAH exposure from cooked meats and cancer in humans due to study limitations.

Due to the potential carcinogenicity of several PAHs, as well as the need to resolve uncertainties around dietary exposure to PAHs and cancer, accurate detection methods are needed to help regulators, researchers, and food companies understand and mitigate PAH contamination.

Conventional PAH Detection Methods vs. QuEChERS

Detecting PAHs comes with certain challenges. Conventional extraction methods, such as solid phase extraction, liquid–liquid extraction, and accelerated solvent extraction, can be affordable, but they often require lengthy preparation, hands-on labor, and chemical-intensive procedures that are not ideal for occupational or environmental health.

Addressing these challenges, an emerging testing method known as QuEChERS—which stands for “Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe”—is designed to speed up sample preparation, reduce chemical use, improve recovery rates, and make food contaminant testing more practical for routine safety checks.

QuEChERS Shows Promise as PAH Test

Recent research suggests that QuEChERS-based approaches are becoming increasingly useful for detecting PAHs across food matrices. For example,

• A study from the Seoul National University of Science and Technology (Seoul Tech) validated the QuEChERS method for the measurement of eight PAHs in food, across multiple matrices. The project found the highest PAH concentrations in soybean oil, followed by duck meat and canola oil.
• A second study from Dongguk University—Seoul developed a modified QuEChERS method with a freeze-out step and applied it to 302 retail food samples. It found the highest concentration of four priority PAHs in Kezuribushi, a smoked and dried fish product, and identified grilled chicken feet as a possible health concern based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) “margin of exposure” approach.
• A third study from the Romanian National Institute of Research and Development for Food Bioresources (IBA Bucharest) focused on cereals and cereal-based products. Researchers developed a modified QuEChERS method using Z Sep⁺ clean-up and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. They applied the method to 96 cereal samples and 18 cereal-based products collected at retail. Only one PAH, chrysene, was quantified in 17 percent of cereal samples, while no PAHs were quantified in the cereal-derived products.

Implications for Industry

Explained by Joon-Goo Lee, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology at Seoul Tech and corresponding author on one of the studies, a faster and more efficient PAH testing method could improve food safety management by making it easier to inspect products before they reach consumers. The approach may also reduce costs and improve working conditions by streamlining time-consuming procedures and limiting the use of hazardous chemicals.

“Food safety testing is becoming faster, cleaner, and more precise. By improving how scientists detect PAHs, methods like QuEChERS could help identify hidden contaminants, support safer food production, and reduce chemical waste in the lab,” said the statement from Seoul Tech.