Benzo(a)pyrene contents of meat products.

The Benzo(a)pyrene contents of 386 smoked and 18 grilled meat products were determined by application of capillary gas-chromatography-mass fragmentography using inner standards. 82 per cent of 183 black smoked hams contained appreciably more than the legal maximum amount of 1 ppb. The quantities of BaP increased very much with increase of soot accumulation on the surface. Only 15 per cent of 95 hams and only 9 per cent of 87 sausages smoked by normal methods had excessive BaP content. The amounts in excess of 1 ppb were much lower in these hams. Bratwurst grilled by use of pine-cones, spruce-cones and hard wood contained on average 28 ppb BaP. The BaP amounts of Bratwurst grilled over charcoal were without exception lower than 1 ppb.