Extraction and analytical approaches for the determination of post-food processing major carcinogens: A comprehensive review towards healthier processed food.

Different food processing methods, e.g. fermentation, grilling, frying, etc., to improve food sensory attributes or shelf-stability are typically employed in different cuisines worldwide. These methods may illicit in-situ health-hazardous chemicals via thermal or enzymatic-mediated processes or chemical interactions with food preservatives. This review provides a comparative overview of the occurrence, extraction, and determination of the major food carcinogens such as nitrosamines (NAs), biogenic amines (BAs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ethyl carbamate (EC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Their carcinogenicity levels vary from group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) e.g. benzo[a]pyrene, group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) e.g. N-nitrosodiethylamine, group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) e.g. chrysene or group 3 (non-classifiable as carcinogenic to humans) e.g. MDA. Chromatography-based methods are the most predominant techniques used for their analysis. LC-MS is widely used for both volatile/non-volatile NAs, HAAs, BAs, and EC, whereas GC-MS is applied more for volatile NAs, PAHs and MDA.