Heterocyclic Amines in Chinese Traditional Meat Products: A Review

Chinese traditional meat products are very popular in China, and their production is a complicated process usually accompanied by the generation of numerous contaminants at high levels. As a class of thermally induced contaminants, heterocyclic amines (HAs) are widely present in proteinaceous food products and have strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Compared to Western-style meat products, HAs are more easily generated and maintained in Chinese traditional meat products, posing a more prominent problem of potential food safety risks. This article highlights the recent achievements in the analysis of HAs contents in Chinese traditional meat products and their reduction and control techniques. Deficiencies in existing studies in this regard and the latest research trends are discussed. We believe that this review will help boost the safety of Chinese traditional meat products.