Premised research on dietary exposure to benzo[a]pyrene, acrylamide, and Nnitrosodimethylamine from common fried and grilled dishes in North Vietnam

Fried and grilled cooking methods and the widespread consumption of certain dishes may expose the population to elevated levels of potentially carcinogenic compounds, such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), acrylamide, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). This study aims to quickly estimate dietary exposure to these contaminants and assess the associated carcinogenic risk for several common Vietnamese fried and grilled dishes. The concentrations of the target compounds were obtained from the study showed that BaP, NDMA, and acrylamide are the groups of substances of greatest concern. The analytical results of 235 samples of meat and meat products (grilled/fried/smoked), seafood and seafood products (grilled/fried/smoked), processed oils, and potatoes showed that 12 samples detected acrylamide in the range of 5.0 – 162.0 µg/kg found in grilled/fried dishes and 5.0 – 4605 µg/kg for fried potatoes. Additionally, 204 samples detected NDMA in all groups in the range of 0.20 – 15.0 µg/kg, and 27 samples detected BaP in the range of 5.2 – 88 µg/kg in grilled/roasted food. Combined with information on food consumption patterns to estimate dietary exposure, four age groups were divided into under 6 years old, 6 – 18 years old, 18 – 50 years old, and over 50 years old, which showed that the consumption of processed foods by age groups was very different. In particular, the age group from 6 to 50 years old was the group that consumed the most of these foods (14.1 – 140 g/day). Specifically, up to 94.4% of people interviewed ate fried meat, 88.8% ate fried seafood and 85% ate fried potatoes. Risk characterization using the margin of exposure (MOE) and Cancer Slope Factor approaches indicate that certain dishes, such as grilled/smoked meat and fish, and deep-fried foods, may pose a significant cancer risk to Vietnamese consumers.