Food safety indicators in terms of benz(a)pyrene content: challenges and opportunities

The issue of food safety in the scientific world has assumed importance. The issues of detection, determination and rate setting of allowable levels of cancerogenic substances in food products are of prime importance. In accordance to the resolution of the EU Commission No. 208/2005 an indicator of presence and effect of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food items can be the content of benz(a)pyrene, which is rated the most wide-spread carcinogenic substances in the human environment. The sources of carcinogenic substances have been analyzed. Once in the scientific world it’s been considered that the sources of carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbons, found in the human environment, food products and fodder, are high-temperature pyrogenic processes which occur at the temperature of 700-800 °С. It’s thought that the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is related to their synthesis in the vital processes of plants and as a result of high pollution of the human environment by them. It’s shown that by modern studies it’s found out that to judge about carcinogenic activity of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons only according to benz(a)pyrene content is incorrect, as they have more hazardous carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons, for example, dibenz(a)pyrene and others. The regulatory documents specifying the list of genotoxic polycyclic hydrocarbons in different countries differ and have from 8 to 18 individual compounds. The methods of decancerogenization of the sources of carcinogenic substances in different fields of engineering are described. The standards of allowable levels of benz(a)pyrene in different food items in compliance with the Technical Regulation of the Customs Union “On Food Safety” are analyzed. The paper shows the topicality of research studies and the search for a way of reducing cancerogenic substances in food products taking into account the knowledge and experience, gathered in different production branches in the field of common interests.