Persistent organic pollutants (PCBs and PCDD/Fs), PAHs, and plasticizers in spices, herbs, and tea – A review of chromatographic methods from the last decade (2010-2020)

Edible and highly demanded plant-derived products such as herbs, spices, and tea may be subjected to exogenous contamination of well-known chemical hazards such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and emerging ones such as plasticizers, affecting negatively the safety of these food commodities. This fact has led to the increasing analysis of exogenous compounds including priority POPs such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as highly persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Currently, plasticizer residues are also considered an emerging issue because of the extensive use in food packaging and potential migration into foodstuffs. In this review, the studies published from 2010 to 2020 were discussed, including the main extraction methods applied for these contaminants from herbs, spices, and tea, and it was revealed the trend toward the use of less solvent-consuming and time-effective methods. Chromatographic methods were also described, which were mainly combined with detection techniques such as classical or mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Finally, a comprehensive overview of the occurrence of these selected exogenous compounds was presented in the studied matrices, showing that their monitoring should be further investigated to ensure food safety of highly consumed condiments and tea.