Effect of different cooking methods on selected quality criteria and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

The effect of different cooking methods (boiling, sous-vide cooking, pan-frying, oven cooking, and barbecuing) on some quality criteria (dry matter content, pH value, cooking loss value, and antioxidant activity) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contents of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) was investigated. Different cooking methods were found to have significant effects on the dry matter content, cooking loss, and pH value of the mushroom, whereas no significant effect was observed on the antioxidant activity (IC50). Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) was detected in both raw and cooked mushroom samples, with no statistically significant difference in ∑PAH4 (BaA + Chry + BbF + BaP) content between samples. The ∑PAH4 content, initially 0.30 ng/g in raw samples, ranged from 0.34 to 3.50 ng/g across mushrooms cooked using different methods. Importantly, consumption of even 1 kg of pan-fried mushrooms with the highest ∑PAH4 content remained within the limits defined by both the Turkish Food Codex Food Contaminants Regulation (TFC 2011) and the European Union Directive (EU 2011).