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Related Experiment Videos

Volatile organic compounds in foods: a five year study.

Mary Ellen Fleming-Jones1, Robert E Smith

  • 1United States Food and Drug Administration, 11510 West 80th Street, Lenexa, Kansas 66214-3338, USA.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|December 24, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in all 70 tested foods over five years. Benzene, a common VOC, was found in most foods, with levels in some exceeding the U.S. EPA

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Area of Science:

  • Food safety and analytical chemistry.
  • Environmental monitoring of chemical contaminants.

Background:

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are prevalent in the environment and can be present in food.
  • Understanding the occurrence and levels of VOCs in food is crucial for public health.
  • Benzene, a known carcinogen, is a specific VOC of concern in food products.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the presence and levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a variety of food items.
  • To determine the range of total VOCs and specific compounds, such as benzene, across different food categories.
  • To compare detected benzene levels in food with regulatory limits for drinking water.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a purge and trap technique for sample preparation.
  • Employed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for precise compound identification and quantification.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed a diverse selection of 70 food items over a five-year period (1996-2000).

    • Main Results:

    • VOCs were detected in at least one sample of all 70 foods analyzed.
    • Total VOCs ranged from 24 to 5328 ppb, with canned creamed corn lowest and cheddar cheese highest.
    • Benzene was found in all foods except American cheese and vanilla ice cream, with levels up to 190 ppb.

    Conclusions:

    • All tested foods contained detectable levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
    • Benzene was a common contaminant, with levels in some foods significantly exceeding the U.S. EPA's maximum contaminant level for drinking water.
    • The findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of VOCs in the food supply.