Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid smoke flavorings obtained from different types of wood. Effect of storage in polyethylene flasks on their concentrations

Smoke flavorings are widely used as an alternative to the traditional smoki ng techniques; Smoke generation conditions can determine the level of polyc yclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the smoke and, consequently, in these preparations. In this paper, the influence of the wood source on the forma tion of PAHs is studied. For this purpose, five liquid smoke flavorings, ob tained from different types of wood, were used. Sample aliquots, including deuterated internal standards, were subjected to an alkaline treatment, ext racted by liquid-liquid partition and cleaned up by means of silica tubes, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The results reve al that the flavoring obtained from poplar wood presents the highest number and concentrations of both total and carcinogenic PAHs, even though the le vels of these latter are very low. It has also been observed that the stora ge of smoke flavorings in polyethylene flasks reduces the concentration of some PAHs.