Home-smoked food processed in Iceland is apt to contain much higher amounts of polycyclic hydrocarbons, including 3:4 benzpyrene, than commercially-smoked food because of heavier and more prolonged smoke exposure. Commercially-smoked meat was found to contain less than 1 μg/kg wet weight 3:4 benzpyrene while a representative sample of home-smoked meat contained 23 μg. Being of higher molecular weight, the polycyclic hydrocarbons have lower power of penetration thaan the phenols so the bulk is found in the superficial layer of the food. Covering membrances as the skin of sausages or wrappings of cellophance and even of cotton fabric, form an effective barrier against penetration of polycyclic hydrocarbons, and in particular of 3:4 benzpyrene, without materially destroying the process of soke curing.
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Þorsteinn Thorsteinsson (1969) studied this question.
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