In today’s health-conscious world, many people are choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables.
But surprisingly, even these healthy foods can sometimes contain harmful substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.
These toxic compounds can get into our food through environmental pollution or during cooking methods like grilling, frying, smoking, and roasting. Some PAHs are known to increase the risk of cancer, making it important to detect them accurately in the food we eat.
Traditionally, scientists used methods like solid-phase or liquid-liquid extraction to find PAHs. These methods work, but they are often slow, require a lot of labor, and are not environmentally friendly.
To improve this process, researchers now use a technique called QuEChERS—which stands for Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe. This method speeds up food testing, improves accuracy, and uses fewer harmful chemicals.
A research team at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, led by Professor Joon-Goo Lee, recently used the QuEChERS method to detect eight types of PAHs in food. The study was published in the journal Food Science and Biotechnology.
The researchers used acetonitrile to extract PAHs from food, followed by purification using different sorbents. They tested various types of food and confirmed that the QuEChERS method gave consistent and reliable results. Their findings showed excellent calibration results for all eight PAHs, with detection levels as low as 0.006 µg/kg.
Recovery rates—how much of the substance was successfully identified—were very strong: between 86% and 110%, depending on the concentration level. The precision of these results was also high, showing that the method is both accurate and dependable.
Professor Lee said, “This method not only simplifies the testing process but also works efficiently across many types of foods. It’s a big step forward compared to older techniques.”
This method can help food companies test for toxic substances more efficiently, improve safety checks, reduce costs, and even make the workplace safer for lab workers. It also supports environmental sustainability by using fewer dangerous chemicals.
“Our research helps protect public health by making sure our food is safe,” Prof. Lee concluded.
This new technique shows promise in keeping our food safer while supporting cleaner, faster, and more affordable lab testing.
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