Concentration and potential health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for consumers of chocolate in Brazil

•The method offered adequate recovery values of 4 PAHs.•PAHs in greater quantities were found for white chocolates and 70 % cocoa chocolate.•White and 70 % cocoa chocolate had the highest concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene.•The consumption of chocolate presents a low risk for human health. Chocolate is widely consumed worldwide and its market grows every year, with emerging demands for new high-quality products. However, this product is susceptible to contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), representing a risk for humans. In this study, a methodology for the evaluation of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene in chocolate by high performance liquid chromatography was validated. The occurrence, dietary exposure, and health risks of 4 PAHs in 38 commercial chocolate samples was investigated. The methodology demonstrated adequate accuracy and precision, with recovery (95.25 %–108.12 %) and relative standard deviation (0.14 %–5.83 %). Benzo[a]pyrene and the ∑4 PAHs concentrations varied between 1.09 and 10.42 µg/kg and 8.38–41.58 µg/kg, respectively. The results of risk assessment suggest low potential health risk for chocolate consumers, considering the margin of exposure (MOE) and the incremental life cancer risk (ILCR) values.