Analysis of biogenic amines and benzo[α]pyrene in black pepper prepared under various cooking methods

In this study, the levels of biogenic amines (BAs) and benzo[α]pyrene (Bαp) in roasted, pan-fried, and boiled black pepper were analyzed. The validation results of the two analytical methods, high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography−mass spectrometry showed good linearity (R² = 0.999–0.9997), LOD (0.12–1.12 μg/g), LOQ (0.36–3.63 μg/g), recovery (97.53–113.63%), and precision (1.45–3.11%). In 43 cooked black pepper samples, the detection range of BAs was 5.32–548.05 μg/g. In 54 cooked black pepper samples, the Bαp content ranged from 0.78 to 11.2 ng/g. The levels of BAs in black pepper were significantly increased as the temperature and time of roasting and pan-frying increased (p < 0.05) but significantly decreased when the boiling temperature and time increased (p < 0.05). The Bαp content of black pepper increased significantly in all three cooking conditions as the temperature and time increased (p < 0.05). Through this study it is possible to provide various parameters that can minimize the levels of BAs and BαP in household cooking and food manufacturing process including black pepper.