The contamination, formation, determination and control of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in meat products

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are aromatic compounds with two or more benzene rings composed of carbon and hydrogen, which are potential hazard substances produced by food thermal processing. However, the toxicological effects differ due to their varieties, causing many countries to have inconsistent standards. Also, the formation mechanism of PAHs in meat products is still controversial, and the detection methods and influencing factors are diverse, resulting in food control challenges. Therefore, this work reviewed PAHs in food, especially meat products from the perspectives of their classification, toxicological evaluation, formation mechanism, methods for extraction and detection, influencing factors, and control strategies. This paper provides some perspectives on the control of food PAHs in research and industrial production.