Hexachlorobenzene Residues in Spanish Meat Products After Cooking, Curing, and Long-term Ripening.

The effect of cooking, curing, and long-term ripening on hexachlorobenzene (HCB) residues in Spanish pork meat products was investigated. Twenty pork bologna samples were analyzed before and before cooking at 80-82°C for 100 min. Twenty-six fermented dry-cured pork sausage samples were initially analyzed just before filling into natural casing and at 4-, 15-, and 30-d intervals during curing process. Thirty dry-salted cured ham samples were investigated fresh, after dry-salting for 10 d, and after 6 month ripening. HCB residues were quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detector using packed columns. Neither cooking nor curing significantly reduced the HCB content in pork bologna and pork sausage, respectively. Ham processing yielded a significant (p<0.001) reduction of 42% in HCB levels throughout the length of maturation.