A total of 120 spices and herbs bought on the Belgian market have been analysed for occurrence of the four EU regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAH4). Samples were sorted in three groups according to their use: traditional spices, exotic spices, and herbs. Benzo[a]pyrene has been detected in 56% of samples, while ΣPAH4 were found in 96% of samples. ΣPAH4 were evenly distributed among the three groups with a median content of 7.2 for traditional spices, 5.5 for exotic spices and 6.0 µg kg-1 for herbs. According to the EU legislation, three samples were exceeding maximal limits, with a maximum ΣPAH4 content of 164 µg kg-1. The ΣPAH4 dietary intake has been estimated at 1.4 and 27.8 ng day-1 for average and high consumption, respectively. The risk for the consumer was evaluated by using the margin of exposure (MOE). In all cases, MOE were >20 000, indicating a low concern for the population.
Keywords: Belgium; GC-MS/MS; PAH; dried herbs; monitoring; risk assessment; spices.