ANALYSIS OF COOKED MUSCLE MEATS FOR HETEROCYCLIC AROMATIC AMINE CARCINOGENS

A number of related heterocyclic amines that are mutagenic in bacteria l test systems and carcinogenic in animals are formed during the cooki ng of food. The most commonly reported and abundant compounds are PhIP , MeIQx, DiMeIQx, IQ and A alpha C. Using analysis by solid-phase extr action and HPLC, amounts found in foods range from less than one ng/g for products from fast-food restaurants, up to 14 ng/g in commercially cooked products and over 300 ng/g for well done flame-grilled chicken breast meat. Interestingly, marinating meat for 4 h greatly reduces t he amount of PhIP produced during cooking, but not MeIQx. Comparing mu tagenic activity in meat samples to the mutagenic activity accounted f or by the known heterocyclic amines shows that most samples have activ ity that cannot be accounted for by the aromatic amines we can current ly identify. This suggests that additional compounds are present in th ese foods and need to be investigated, particularly those grilled over open flames.