PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL ARSENIC REPRESENTED BY ARSENOBETAINE LEVELS OF MANUFACTURED SEAFOOD PRODUCTS

The aim of the present study is to establish whether arsenobetaine (AB ) is the principal species in manufactured seafood products. Total As and AB were analyzed in a wide range of seafood products using hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) and liquid chromat ography-inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometric detection (HPLC-ICP-AES). Our findings shows that total As contents w ere in general of the order of those found by the U.K. Ministry of Agr iculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). The range for AB is <0.1-5.4 mu g g(-1) of fresh weight (expressed as As) or (0.2-12.8 mu g g(-1) of fr esh weight (expressed as AB). The mean values +/- SD of percentages of total As represented by AB are 81 +/- 21 in fresh seafood, 42 +/- 22 in frozen seafood, and 28 +/- 17 in preserved seafood. This confirms t hat there is a lower percentage of As as AB in frozen or preserved pro ducts than in fresh seafoods. Further research is to be carried out to confirm whether AB is degraded during manufacturing processes or leac hed out into liquor, oil, or sauce of canned seafoods.