Food for human consumption is smoked by providing smoke, removing one or more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the smoke and contacting the food with the treated smoke, or smoking the food and then removing the PAHs from the smoked food. PAH removal is selective, to remove the PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings, in particular without significantly changing the volatile profile of the smoked food. A selective filter is provided, as is apparatus comprising a smoke generator, a chamber in which to smoke food, and the selective filter, disposed between the smoke generator and the chamber.