PRESENCE OF BENZO(A)PYRENE IN BABY FOODS SOLD IN RETAIL

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a large group of organic compounds containing two or more aromatic rings and belonging to food and environment contaminants. PAHs have a widespread distribution in the environment and carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of some of these compounds have been proven. Benzo-a-pyrene is the most known member of the PAH and it is a good marker of carcinogenic PAH levels in food. This study was performed to investigate of benzo(a)pyrene presence in baby foods sold in Istanbul and to evaluate the obtained results according to Turkish Food Codex. For this purpose, a total of 88 baby food samples (33 infant formulas, 29 follow-on formulas, 26 infant and young children foods) were obtained from different supermarkets in Istanbul and the presence of benzo(a)pyrene in the samples was analyzed by means of HPLC. While benzo(a)pyrene could not be detected in 51 (58.0%) baby food samples, it was determined in 37 (42.0%) samples ranging from 0.05 to 0.81 µg/kg. The mean benzo(a)pyrene levels determined in infant formulae, follow-on formulae and infant and young children food samples were 0.14 µg/kg, 0.24 µg/kg and 0.39 µg/kg, respectively. According to the obtained results, the levels of benzo(a)pyrene in analyzed samples did not exceeded the limit (1.0 µg/kg) set in Turkish Food Codex. This result was considered to be positive for consumer health.