Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Tuesday, 27 July 2010.
Tagged: guides, healthy cooking, healthy eating
Firing up the barbecue this weekend? Barbecues are one of the healthiest meals on hot days but not if you're serving a charred snag (sausage/hot dog) or a burnt chop.
When you barbecue, high heat is generated from the flames. This high heat on meat, poultry and fish creates potential carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds) called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). If you see charring, it's an indication that HCAs are present.
Other carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are deposited on meat from the smoke that rises when fat drips onto the hot coals (or any heat source).
There's been a suspicion that meat is linked to colo-rectal cancer for some years now but it seems that the link is only there if the meat is charred or it's processed/preserved.
And this is important. Colo-rectal cancer is the commonest cancer in Australia, claiming over 12 000 new cases each year. So here are my top 10 tips for a healthier barbecue:
Kitchen vs barbecue
Cooking in the kitchen can also produce HCAs if you cook by pan-frying and grilling at high temperatures. Instead choose poaching, microwaving, stewing and roasting where possible.
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