Mutagenicities of smoke condensates and the charred surface of fish and meat.

Smoke condensates obtained from broiling fish showed mutagenic activity for Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98. Metabolic activation was required to induce mutagenic activity of smoke condensates of some species of fish. The smoke condensate obtained during charcoal broiling of beefsteak was far less mutagenic than that of fish, with or without metabolic activation. Extracts of the charred surface of broiled fish and meat also contained mutagenic substances. These extracts needed metabolic activation to exhibit mutagenicities on TA98. The mutagenic activity of the smoke condensate obtained from one sardine weighing 100 g was equivalent to that of 132 micrograms benzo(a)pyrene and that of the charred surface of the sardine was equivalent to 358 micrograms benzo(a)pyrene. One piece of beefsteak weighing 190 g, contained mutagenic activity equivalent to that of 855 micrograns benzo(a)pyrene.