It is a well-known fact that, when meat is barbecued, several harmful components, including heterocyclic
amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), may be formed. The aim of this study was to
determine the HCA and PAH content in meat (pork, chicken and beef) when barbecued at home by Danish
consumers according to their normal practice. With regard to HCA, beef contained the highest concentrations
of 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (norharman) and 2-methyl-β-carboline (harman), while chicken contained more
2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) than pork and beef. The analysis of PAH showed
a markedly higher concentration of PAH in beef compared with pork and chicken. In general, a correlation
between the HCA content and the surface colour of the meat was found, the darker the colour the higher
the HCA concentrations