Analysis of pesticide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon residues in cheese and butter

The use of yield enhancers and pesticides has been deemed necessary to prevent humanity from facing nutritional problems as the world population continues to grow. Since the beginning of time, milk and dairy products have been among the essential nutrients required for humans to sustain their lives. However, pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances that are undesirable in milk and dairy products as they can cause health problems. Chemical residues detected in dairy products, which are widely consumed worldwide, pose significant health risks to both adults and children. Therefore, legal restrictions have been imposed on the levels of chemical residues that can be present in milk and dairy products. In this study, 20 cheese and 20 butter samples from the provinces of Karabük, Kastamonu, Çankırı, and Çorum were analyzed for persistent organochlorine pesticides and PAH residues. No detectable levels of pesticide residues were found in any of the samples. Additionally, BaP (Benzoapyrene), one of the 16 PAH compounds considered as priority pollutants due to its toxic and carcinogenic effects and classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), was not detected in any of the cheese or butter samples. The average PAH residue levels in cheese samples were found to be 206.45 µg/kg for Np, 7.88 µg/kg for Flr, 4.24 µg/kg for Phe, 0.22 µg/kg for An, 1.16 µg/kg for BaA, and 2.46 µg/kg for Chr, with an average PAH4 residue level of 2.14 µg/kg. The total PAH average, minimum, and maximum levels in cheese samples were determined to be 210.83, 170.84, and 286 µg/kg, respectively. In butter samples, the average PAH residue levels were 209.88 µg/kg for Np, 1.18 µg/kg for Anp, 3.05 µg/kg for Flr, 1.36 µg/kg for An, 6.16 µg/kg for BaA, 8.06 µg/kg for Chr, and 3.52 µg/kg for Py, with an average PAH4 residue level of 10.85 µg/kg. The total PAH average, minimum, and maximum levels in butter samples were determined to be 218.61, 150.52, and 260.6 µg/kg, respectively. It was observed that the total PAH average in butter samples was higher than in cheese samples. When the PAH4 (BaP, BaA, BbF, Chr total) average concentrations in cheese samples were evaluated according to the limits set by the Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation for baby and children's food products (1 µg/kg), the cheese samples coded ÇRP1 (3.84 µg/kg), ÇRP4 (1.72 µg/kg), KRP1 (1.48 µg/kg), KRP4 (3.88 µg/kg), KRP5 (1.64 µg/kg), KSP1 (3.52 µg/kg), and KSP5 (1.76 µg/kg) were found to exceed this limit. However, in terms of other food products (12-35 µg/kg; smoked meat and meat products, smoked fish products, coconut oil, smoked bivalve mollusks), the limits were not exceeded. When the PAH4 average concentrations in butter samples were evaluated according to the same regulation's limit for baby and children's food products (1 µg/kg), the butter samples coded ÇNT1 (11.24 µg/kg), ÇNT3 (4.64 µg/kg), ÇNT4 (2.52 µg/kg), ÇRT1 (6.40 µg/kg), ÇRT5 (11.36 µg/kg), KRT1 (2.76 µg/kg), KRT2 (5.36 µg/kg), KRT3 (10 µg/kg), KRT4 (7.92 µg/kg), and KST3 (3.56 µg/kg) were found to exceed this limit. When evaluated according to the limit set for smoked meat and meat products and smoked fish products (12 µg/kg), the butter samples coded ÇNT2 (15.36 µg/kg), ÇNT5 (27.8 µg/kg), KST1 (18.48 µg/kg), and KST2 (24.52 µg/kg) were found to exceed this limit, while in terms of other food products (20-35 µg/kg; coconut oil, smoked bivalve mollusks), the limits were not exceeded.