Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in seasoned-roasted laver and their reduction according to the mixing ratio of seasoning oil and heat treatment in a model system

In food processing, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be generated during heat treatment, and the PAHs in seasoned-roasted (SR) laver can be reduced by checking points during manufacturing. Benzo (a) anthracene, chrysene, benzo (b) fluoranthene, and benzo (a) pyrene have been identified in SR laver via GC/MS. We confirmed that in practice, the PAHs in SR laver form from the mixed oil (57%) and roasting process (43%). To mitigate the formation of PAHs, we used a model system to change the mixing ratio of oil, roasting temperature, and time. A significant reduction (35%) was observed in the PAH level as the perilla oil was removed from the mixed oil composition and roasting continued at 350 °C for 10 s. These results show that the composition of the mixing oil and the parameters of the heat treatment are crucial factors that contribute to the formation of PAHs in roasted laver.