2.8. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a group of compounds present in the environment as a result of past and current incomplete combustion (burning) of organic substances (e.g. wood, gas, diesel) and geochemical processes. 

Some of these compounds are genotoxic and carcinogenic and food safety authorities recommend that levels in foods should be as low as reasonably achievable to protect public health. 

Foods, including cocoa products, can become contaminated by deposition of soot particles from the air, by growing in contaminated soils or contact with contaminated water, or during post-harvest processing. 

For cocoa, the principal source is from smoke contamination during artificial drying. It is therefore essential to ensure the guidelines on good drying and storage practices in Section 3. Post-harvest Drying are followed, with particular attention given to the design and adequate maintenance of artificial dryers, to minimize PAH contamination. Furthermore, since most of the PAH contamination will reside on the outer surface of the bean, it is also important that bean breakage is kept to a minimum, and the removal of the shell fraction during processing is carefully carried out.

The EU has set maximum limits for some of these PAHs in a number of foods, including cocoa beans and derived products (Regulation (EC)2023/915) where the levels are established on a fat basis since PAH concentrate in the cocoa butter (see Table 2). The EU has indicated that the levels of PAH in cocoa beans and derived products should continue to be regularly monitored with a view to assessing the possibility for further decreasing the maximum levels in future.

Indeed, the EU has subsequently set maximum limits for PAH in cocoa fibre and derived products. The limits are set on a wet weight basis since cocoa fibre products are low in fat and produced from the shell of cocoa bean and are thus likely to contain higher levels of PAHs than cocoa products produced from the cocoa nibs .The cocoa fibre and derived products are intermediate products in the production chain and are used as an ingredient in the preparation of low calorie, high fibre food.

Table 2.

EU Maximum Limits for PAH in Cocoa Products (Commission Regulation 2023/915) [1]