International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Foods: Biological Effects, Legislation, Occurrence, Analytical Methods, and Strategies to Reduce Their Formation Geni Rodrigues Sampaio 1,* , Glória Maria Guizellini 1 , Simone Alves da Silva 1,2 , Adriana Palma de Almeida 2 , Ana Clara C. Pinaffi-Langley 1 , Marcelo Macedo Rogero 1 , Adriano Costa de Camargo 3,* and Elizabeth A. F. S. Torres 1 1 Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, 715 Doutor Arnaldo Ave, Sao Paulo 01246-904, Brazil;
[email protected] (G.M.G.);
[email protected] (S.A.d.S.); napinaffi@gmail.com (A.C.C.P.-L.);
[email protected] (M.M.R.);
[email protected] (E.A.F.S.T.) 2 Organic Contaminant Core, Contaminant Centre, Adolfo Lutz Institute, 355 Doutor Arnaldo Ave, Sao Paulo 01246-000, Brazil;
[email protected] 3 Laboratory of Antioxidants, Nutrition and Food Technology Institute, University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile * Correspondence:
[email protected] (G.R.S.);
[email protected] (A.C.d.C.) Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds comprised of carbon and hydrogen molecules in a cyclic arrangement. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, especially carcinogenesis. One form of exposure to these compounds is through ingestion of con- Citation: Sampaio, G.R.; Guizellini, taminated food, which can occur during preparation and processing involving high temperatures G.M.; da Silva, S.A.; de Almeida, A.P.; (e.g., grilling, smoking, toasting, roasting, and frying) as well as through PAHs present in the soil, Pinaffi-Langley, A.C.C.; Rogero, air, and water (i.e., environmental pollution).