FOOD SAFETY
CALLING
all backyard chefs:
Te thrill of the grill beckons!
Tere’s nothing quite like a bar-
becue to turn ordinary foods into a
smoky, charbroiled delight. Yet those
delicious favors can pose a serious
health risk—especially when meat is
involved.
Grilling meat at very high tem-
peratures can cause a reaction in the
muscle proteins of meat that cre-
ates chemicals called heterocyclic
amines—or HCAs for short. When
eaten, HCAs damage the
DNA in our genes and may
raise the risk of cancers of the
colon, stomach and pancreas.
Along with turning up
in grilled meat, HCAs are found
in meat that’s charred or especially
well done. In one study from the
University of Minnesota, research-
ers reported that regularly eating
charred, well-done
meat may raise the
risk of pancreatic
cancer by as much
as 60 percent.
Still, you don’t
have to give up
on grilling. Some
fairly simple
precautions can
reduce its possible
risks and help pro-
tect your health:
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Cook at lower temperatures. Wait
for charcoal to burn down to embers,
or turn down the gas. Raise the grill
rack too.
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Be wary of charred meat. Try not
Grill this way
Prevent foodborne illness
to let the surface of meat become
blackened. If it does, scrape of the
charred areas before eating.
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Precook meat. Ten grill quickly
for favor.
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Marinate meat and frequently
fip it. Both marinating meat before
cooking it and turning meat over
every minute or so when grilling can
help reduce formation of HCAs.
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Avoid fame fare-ups. Fat
dripping onto hot coals creates
smoke with chemicals that—like
HCAs—have the potential to cause
cancer.
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Go meatless. Trow some green
peppers, red onions, pineapple or
other colorful produce on the grill.
Fruits and vegetables do not form
many of the chemicals that are
produced when meat is grilled. Plus,
colorful produce is rich in sub-
stances that fght cancer and boost
the immune system.
Sources: American Cancer Society; American Institute for Cancer
Research; National Cancer Institute
Ready to fre up that grill? Before you begin, take a minute or two to familiarize your-
self with these precautions. Each can help keep harmful bacteria frommultiplying in
the food you’re about to cook and reduce your risk of becoming ill from a contami-
nated burger or other dish.
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Marinate meat safely. Do all of your marinating in the fridge. If you’re going to use
some of the marinade as a sauce on your cooked food, set a portion aside that won’t
be used on the raw meat and poultry. And don’t use the same brush to baste raw and
cooked meat.
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Don’t share ware. Never put grilled food on the same platter that held raw meat
or poultry.
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Cook correctly. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that meat is cooked
well enough to kill bacteria. Cook hamburgers to 160 degrees and chicken to
165 degrees.
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Watch the clock. Don’t let perishable food—even if it’s fully cooked—sit out for
more than two hours. Refrigerate it instead. If it’s 90 degrees or hotter outside, perish-
able food needs to be in the fridge within an hour.
Sources: American Dietetic Association; U.S. Department of Agriculture
Fruits and vegetables do not form many
of the chemicals that are produced
when meat is grilled.
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lifeand health