Effects of Cooking Techniques and Levels on the Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Chicken and Fish

The effects of different cooking methods (microwave, oven, hot plate, pan-flying and barbecuing) and levels (rare, medium, well done and very well done) on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) in chicken chops and fish fillets were investigated. The cooked samples were analyzed for nine HCAs, including 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoxaline (IQx), 2-amino-3, 4-dimethylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3, 8-dimethylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3, 4, 8-trimethylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoxaline (4, 8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-3, 7, 8-trimethylimidazo [4, 5-f]quinoxaline (7, 8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4, 5-b] pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-9H-pyrido [2, 3-b]indole (A alpha C) and 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido [2, 3-b] indole (MeA alpha C). For chicken samples, while HCAs were only detected in barbecued chicken, it was determined that total HCA amount changed between 3.36 and 8.13 ng g(-1). The highest total amounts found in very-well done barbecued chicken chops. It was determined that no HCAs detected in fish fillets cooked with microwave and hot plate. The highest total amounts found in fish for oven, pan-frying and barbecuing were 2.09, 5.89 and 3.52 ng g(-1), respectively. A alpha C and MeA alpha C were not detected in any samples analyzed.