Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in retail Turkish yogurts

The level of 4 EU marker polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (4PAHs) was determined in various types of yogurt samples consumed in Turkey. Seventeen kinds of retail yogurt were purchased from supermarkets and local dairy firms in Turkey. A high-performance liquid chromatography method involving a liquid-liquid extraction and a pre-concentration step was applied for the determination of 4PAHs. The method was validated according to single laboratory validation guidelines with parameters such as selectivity, precision, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, linearity, accuracy, and also measurement uncertainty. The highest concentration for sum of the 4PAHs was found 0.59 mu g/kg and 0.95 mu g/kg in yogurt samples with low and high fat content, respectively. The present paper is the first study concerning the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in yogurts from Turkey.