Overview on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Occurrence, legislation and innovative determination in foods

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous compounds, well-known to be carcinogenic, which can reach the food in different ways. Thus the analysis of such compounds has always been of great importance. The aim of the present review, is not only to give an overview of the most recent sample preparation and analytical approaches (such as pressurized liquid extraction, solid-phase microextraction, supercritical fluid extraction, etc.), but also to introduce such a topic to researchers who want to approach it for the first time; therefore, the most significant references related to general aspects, such as formation, toxicity, risk assessment, occurrence in food, are reported and briefly discussed.