Abstract

Smoking enhances the microbiological safety and eating quality of 
meat; however, such treatments contribute to the formation of harmful 
substances in meat products. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are the 
main contaminants formed during the smoking and grilling of meat 
products. They are created due to the incomplete burning of fuel and 
leakage of cellular juice from the heat source. These compounds have 
been implicated in various human cancer cases. This study investigated 
the presence of PAHs in beef balanga smoked with different fuel wood 
species. The research consisted of five (5) treatments involving one 
kilogram (1kg) each of beef smoked with geza (Combretum micratum), 
kalgo (Piliostigma thonningii), malga (Cassia sieberiana), and sabara 
(Guiera senegalensis) in a laboratory oven. Three samples from each 
treatment group were used for the determination of PAHs using GC
MS. The result for PAHs indicated that 40 PAH compounds were 
detected in all 15 samples. Six compounds each were detected in meat 
smoked with geza and malga, nine PAHs were detected in meat smoked 
with kalgo, 12 compounds were detected in meat smoked in an electric 
oven, and seven compounds were detected in meat smoked with Sabara. 
The PAHs 2-methyl-Naphthalene (10.00%) and 2-(1-dimethyl)
Naphthalene (10.00%) were found to be more prevalent across the 
treatment groups, followed by Napthalene (7.50%) and 1,6-dimethyl
Naphthane (5.00%). The less prevalent PAHs were 1-naphthalanol 
(2.5%) and pylene (2.5%), followed by 5-azulene (2.50%) and 9, 10
anthracenedol (2.50%). 2-methyl-naphthalene was more prevalent 
across the treatments. It was concluded that from all the treatment