Unveiling heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in thermally processed meat products: Formation, toxicity, and strategies for reduction - A comprehensive review

Haijie Wang; Xiaoran Chu; Pengfei Du; Hongjun He; Feng He; Yaobo Liu; Weiting Wang; Yanli Ma; Lei Wen; Yuanshang Wang; Fatih Oz; A M Abd El-Aty

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100833

Unveiling heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in thermally processed meat products: Formation, toxicity, and strategies for reduction - A comprehensive review

Food Chem X. 2023 Aug 9:19:100833. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100833. eCollection 2023 Oct 30.

Authors

Haijie Wang^{1

2}, Xiaoran Chu^{1

2}, Pengfei Du¹, Hongjun He², Feng He^{1

3}, Yaobo Liu¹, Weiting Wang¹, Yanli Ma¹, Lei Wen^{1

2}, Yuanshang Wang^{1

4}, Fatih Oz⁵, A M Abd El-Aty^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Food & Nutrition Science and Technology, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing Technology, Key Laboratory of Novel Food Resources Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Jinan 250100, China.
² College of Life Sciences, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China.
³ School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China.
⁴ College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
⁵ Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ataturk University, Erzurum 25240, Turkey.
⁶ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 12211 Giza, Egypt.
⁷ Department of Medical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.

Abstract

This comprehensive review focuses on heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), a class of chemicals that commonly form during the cooking or processing of protein-rich foods. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has categorized certain HAAs as probable human carcinogens, highlighting the significance of studying their formation and control in food safety research. The main objective of this review is to address the knowledge gaps regarding HAAs formation and propose approaches to reduce their potential toxicity during thermal processing. By summarizing the mechanisms involved in HAAs formation and inhibition, the review encompasses both conventional and recent detection methods. Furthermore, it explores the distribution of HAAs in thermally processed meats prepared through various cooking techniques and examines their relative toxicity. Additionally, considering that the Maillard reaction, responsible for HAAs formation, also contributes to the unique flavors and aromas of cooked meat products, this review investigates the potential effects of inhibiting HAAs formation on flavor substances. A thorough understanding of these complex interactions provides a foundation for developing targeted interventions to minimize the formation of HAAs and other harmful compounds during food processing.

Keywords: 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PubChem CID: 1530); 2-Amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (PubChem CID: 62274); 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (PubChem CID: 62275); 2-Amino-3-methyl-imidazole[4,5-f]quinoline (PubChem CID: 53462); 3-Methyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxalin-2-amine (PubChem CID: 105041); Carcinogen; Distribution; Formation mechanism; Harman (PubChem CID: 5281404); Heterocyclic aromatic amines; Inhibition mechanism; Norharman (PubChem CID: 64961); Protein-rich foods; Toxicity.

Publication types

Review