POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN FOOD: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES, CARCINOGENIC MECHANISMS, AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS

Food safety aspects related to compounds that are potentially carcinogenic to humans are of considerable concern to public health. Every year, millions of people worldwide are affected by malignant neoplasms. The daily intake of foods contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) has been postulated as a risk factor for cancer development. PAH constitutes a large class of organic compounds formed by two or more fused aromatic rings composed of carbon and hydrogen. They can be introduced into food through natural or anthropogenic sources, resulting from environmental contamination or industrial processing techniques and culinary practices. In this comprehensive review, presented in two parts, the physicochemical and toxicological aspects of PAH are revisited in the context of food science, highlighting the main processes with the potential of introducing these contaminants into the food chain. The principal mechanisms of carcinogenicity and metabolic conversion of PAH in the human body are also discussed, as well as the regulatory frameworks established by food safety authorities.