Effect of charcoal type on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in grilled meats.

The effect of grilling using three charcoal types (white, black, and extruded charcoal) on the formation of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in three types of meat (beef loin, pork belly, and chicken thigh) was evaluated. Meats were grilled using a standardized technique until an internal temperature of 71-75 °C was reached. The limits of quantitation, relative recoveries, and precisions of the PAH analyses using GC/MS were 0.03-0.31 μg/kg, 73.5-120.5%, and 0.54-5.02%, respectively. Meats grilled using extruded charcoal showed the highest levels of PAHs (p < 0.0001) among the different charcoals. Additionally, higher levels of 4 PAHs were found in pork belly than beef loin and chicken thigh meat, due to its high fat content (p < 0.0001). The effects of charcoal and meat types showed a high coefficiency (p < 0.0001). These results indicated that the combination of white charcoal and low-fat meat could reduce PAHs formation in charcoal-grilled meat.