الفهرس 
1. IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of
chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil,
gas, wood, garbage, or other organic substances, such as tobacco and
charcoal broiled meat. PAHs usually occur as mixtures of two or more
PAHs and other chemicals. The aromatic rings so formed are more
stable than their precursors, usually alkylated benzene rings.
The review of literature reveals that curing smoking, contaminated
soils, polluted air and water, modes of cooking, food processing and
endogenous, sources have been considered. Wood smoke, which is
normally used for smoking foods, contains a large number of compounds
formed by the pyrolysis of wood constituents such as cellulose,
hemicellulose and lignin. Many of these components can be found on
smoked foods and include phenols, carbonyls, acids, alcohols, esters,
lactones and PAHs. Some of these compounds contribute to the color and
flavor of the product, while others impart desirable preservative effects.
Many PAHs have been shown to be carcinogens by extensive
experiments on animals. Direct evidence for the carcinogenic effect of
these compounds on humans is mainly confined to the association of
cancers with occupational exposure to the compounds. In this respect,
soot, coal tar and some mineral oils have all been found to contain high
levels of PAHs, and people exposed to such products in their occupations
often have an increased incidence of cancer.
Although foods are known to contain 13 known carcinogenic
PAHs, there is no proof that at prevailing levels these contribute to the
incidence of cancer. No realistic assessment of health hazards due to such PAHs can be made. However, it is the responsibility of the food
technologist to design processes which minimize the danger of excessive
PAHs production. Only by care and vigilance in avoiding exposure of
food to unnecessary contamination can the risk to the population be
reduced.