Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in contaminated swine tissue

In 1999 an accidental contamination of feed occurred in Belgium. This incident lead Authorities to increase monitoring levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in food of animal origin. In our Department 220 samples of swine tissues, meat and adipose tissue, were analysed. The quantitation of PCB was made from the sum of 7 congeners obtained by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. Confirmatory analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The PCBs in the majority of samples were close to the method limit of detection and only a few samples had PCB concentrations > the limit of quantitation. In those tissues the average concentration of PCBs was 0.035 mg/kg. The legal limit of 0.200 mg PCB/kg established by the European Union was exceeded by only 1 sample, a smoked ham from Belgium. This sample showed the presence of all selected congeners. We report the profile of the PCB congeners in this sample.