Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination of Polish smoked fish: Assessment of dietary exposure

The aim of the study was to determine if the smoked fish being produced in Poland complies with the new, stricter limits set for BaP and PAH4. The effect of sample position in the smoking chamber was also studied. The margin of exposure (MoE) approach was used for assessing the risk of dietary exposure to PAHs from smoked fish products. The study material comprised of sprat, herring, mackerel, and salmon from a fish processing plant equipped with smoking chambers with external smoke generators. None of the smoked fish products studied exceeded the new, stricter limits set for BaP and PAH4. The MoE indicators far exceed the limit of 10,000 (values lower than this indicate a potential risk to consumer health). The sensory analysis identified significant differences among the products studied that indicate the high quality of cold‐smoked salmon fillets and the statistically significant lower quality of a smoked salmon abdominal parts. Practical applications In 2011 and 2015, the European Commission amended Regulation No. 1881/2006, setting new maximum levels for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food products in order to protect consumer safety. The currently applicable limits are: for benzo(a)pyrene—2.0 μg/kg and for the sum of benzo(a)pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and chrysene—12.0 μg/kg in muscle meat of smoked fish and smoked fishery products with the exception of smoked, canned smoked sprat, smoked, and canned smoked Baltic herring ≤ 14 cm, where the limits are, respectively, 5.0 μg/kg and 30.0 μg/kg. The presented study was to determine if the sprat, herring, mackerel, and salmon from a fish processing plant equipped with smoking chambers with external smoke generators comply with the new, stricter limits set for BaP and PAH4 by Regulation No. 835/2011 and No. 2015/1125. The results showed that none of 54 smoked fish products that had been examined exceeded the new, stricter limits set for BaP and PAH4 and also that changes in PAH4 content depending on the position of the product in the smoking chamber were statistically insignificant, what is important information for processing plants. The sensory analysis indicated the high quality of cold‐smoked salmon fillets and the statistically significant lower quality of smoked salmon abdominal parts.