Effect of different wood species on heterocyclic aromatic amine level in Harbin red sausages

The influence of different wood species (in the form of wood chips) on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in smoked Harbin red sausages was investigated. Four common species of wood (pear, oak, apple, beech) were used for smoking. The smoking process significantly affected the moisture content, water activity, pH, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), protein oxidation (carbonyl content) and HAA content. It was found that the wood species significantly influenced the contents of HAAs in the smoked samples. Total HAA contents were highest in samples smoked using wood chips produced from pear, followed by oak, beech and apple. The contents of Norharman and Harman were much higher than those of the other HAAs. Lipid oxidation and protein oxidation were significantly associated with the formation of total HAAs in samples. It is shown that the type of wood chips used for smoking is one of the critical parameters affecting the contamination of HAAs in smoked meat products.