Prevalence of perfluoroalkyl substances in paired batches of precooked and canned bovine meat and their implication on consumer safety

Abstract

Meat is a highly nutritious food but there is a lot of significant evidence of negative health outcomes related to its excessive consumption, especially for processed one. Among the variety of emerging contaminants of concern for human health, a key role is played by poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which show adverse effects in humans who are exposed to them through diet. In the present study, for the first time, 70 paired batches of pre-cooked and canned bovine meat were analysed by Liquid Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry to evaluate the presence and concentration of 18 PFASs. These data were used to assess Italian consumers' health risks by performing the PFAS intake evaluation. PFBA and PFOS were detected in the precooked and canned meat samples, with PFBA mean concentration of 0.22 ± 0.36 ng g^-1, and <LOQ, respectively, and PFOS mean concentration of <LOQ in both. No PFASs were found in the jelly. The comparison between the PFBA levels in precooked and canned meat showed a significant difference. The PFAS intake evaluation showed an Estimated Daily Intake by far lower than the Tolerable Daily Intake for the average Italian consumer suggested by the European Food Safety Authority.

Keywords: Canned meat; Food safety; PFASs; Risk assessment; UHPLC-HRMS.