However, can grilling food at such a high heat be safe? There’s been some concern about compounds that are formed when meat is grilled. These compounds are called heterocyclic amines – say that five times fast! – or HCAs for short.

We asked Dr. Raymond Thomas, associate professor at Memorial University, an expert in grilled food nutritional quality and safety, to clue us in on the dangers of HCAs and provide tips and tricks to reduce their presence in grilled meats.

What exactly are HCAs? How are they formed in grilled meat?

Dr. Thomas: “Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are a type of nitrogen-containing compound formed while cooking protein-rich foods, such as meat. The chemical structure of HCAs includes ring-like structures called heterocyclic rings, and nitrogen-containing compounds, called amines. They were first discovered from smoke condensation. Following their discovery, studies found that higher levels of these HCAs were present in the charred parts of broiled or grilled meat (beef, pork, lamb and chicken) and fish. HCAs are also formed during normal cooking of processed meat products.”

“HCAs can be formed from the reaction of amino acids (the building blocks of protein), creatine (a compound found in living tissue), creatinine (a breakdown product of creatine) and hexoses (various forms of simple sugars) during conventional cooking, such as in an oven, at temperatures around 150-300 ᵒC. HCAs can also be formed by the reaction of amino acids and proteins at temperatures above 300 ᵒC cooking temperatures.”

When I’m cooking food at home is there anything that influences the level of HCAs in my food?

Dr. Thomas: “The formation of HCAs, the type of HCAs formed, as well as the amount of HCA formed while cooking meat is influenced by a number of factors. The most important factors include: cooking temperature, cooking time, cooking method (dry vs wet), type of meat, type of meat cut, acidity of meat, fat content of the meat, types of amino acids that make up the protein content in the meat and the presence of sugars in the meat.”

When I consume HCAs what are the health risks?

Dr. Thomas: “HCAs are known carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds) and mutagens (mutation causing compounds). Studies in rats and mice have shown that cancers can develop from being exposed to HCAs. These include cancers of the colon, liver, mouth, lung, skin, small intestine, blood vessels and urinary bladder.”

“Studies have also shown that consuming HCAs through eating red meat could increase the risk of developing colorectal, stomach, lung, pancreas, mammary and prostate cancers in humans.”

Right now, there are studies going on at Memorial University that are looking at strategies to decrease the formation of HCAs in grilled meat.

 Is there anything I can do at home to reduce these health risks?

Dr. Thomas: “Yes, there is a lot that you can do at home! Since the cooking temperature, time and method are important factors influencing HCA formation, you should avoid overcooking meat and, if possible, use cooking methods such as steaming or boiling as opposed to grilling, roasting, frying or broiling. Grilling, roasting, frying or broiling exposes food to much higher temperatures and under drier conditions, which are known to increase HCA development.

“Another way to reduce HCA formation in food is to treat foods with natural antioxidants before and after cooking. This includes marinating with herbs, spices, unfiltered beers, wines and mixtures (sauces). Marinating with these ingredients has been shown to be an excellent strategy for reducing HCA development and consumption, as well as the potential cancer health risks. So, marinating meat adds additional flavours to cooked meat and also reduces your exposure to HCAs formed during cooking – a win-win I would say.”

Grilling and other methods that cook meat at high temperatures can lead to the creation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) a type of nitrogen-containing compound that has been linked to certain types of cancer. Marinating meat prior to grilling reduces the development of HCAs.

The post Are There Risks to Eating Charred Meat? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

So, what is marbling? Is it good or bad?

Dr. Yancey: “Marbling is the little flecks of fat found within the muscle of the meat cuts. Meat scientists call it intramuscular fat. Cuts with more marbling have a tendency to be more tender and to tolerate being cooked to greater degrees of doneness. If you like well-done steaks, you want cuts with more marbling.

“More marbling causes cuts to have slightly greater calorie and fat contents, but the change is pretty small. It isn’t really good or bad, just part of the steak!”

Does marbling affect the taste or quality of my steak?

Dr. Yancey: “Much of the flavor in meat cuts is derived from the marbling. More marbling results in a juicier and more tender eating experience. Marbling is the main component used to divide beef cuts in to USDA quality grades like Choice and Prime. Marbling scores are combined with maturity scores (the age of the animal) to determine those quality grades. Grades are used to assign value to cuts of beef. That way, a fancy restaurant can buy expensive Prime cuts and be sure that they get steaks that will be tender, juicy and flavorful.”

Beef cuts are separated into grades by the USDA:

• Prime: produced from young, well-fed beef cattle and has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels
• Choice: high quality, but has less marbling than Prime
• Select: very uniform in quality and normally leaner than higher grades

The other grades, which include standard and commercial grades as well as others, are typically found in frozen or precooked products.

What should I look for when buying a steak at my grocery store?

Dr. Yancey: “You should buy what you like. Look for more marbling in cuts like ribeye and T-bone steaks since they are cooked at higher temperatures. Don’t worry about marbling as much in pot roasts.”

Sometimes there is red liquid in the bottom of the package of meat. What is it? Is it blood?

Dr. Yancey: “No, it is not blood, it is purge. Purge is a combination of water, lactic acid and color proteins called myoglobin. The myoglobin is what makes meat look red or pink. Muscle, and therefore, meat, is made largely of water. The water will slowly run out of the meat as it is processed, cut, aged, packaged, etc.”

Is purge only found in beef?

Dr. Yancey: “Purge is associated with all meat products. Lighter colored meats like chicken and pork may have lighter colored purge. Meats that have been ‘injected with a solution’ or marinated may have a tendency to have a little more purge because of the extra water added.”

Is purge safe? What should I do with it?

Dr. Yancey: “It is as safe as is the meat it’s coming from. It can’t be safely consumed without being cooked, but purge doesn’t indicate unwholesomeness or low quality.

“In ground meats and sausages, I add it back to my dish and just pour it right in the mixing bowl. Add a little salt and the muscle will reabsorb that water to contribute to the juiciness of your dish. In whole-muscle cuts, I would just throw it out with the packaging. Remember that purge is like uncooked meat and anything it touches needs to be cooked or washed with warm soapy water.”

Additional food safety tips when handling meat:

1. Keep raw meat and other foods separate, even in the grocery cart and on the way home.
2. Store your food at the proper temperature.
3. Cook all meat, poultry and seafood to the safe minimum internal temperature.

When it comes to a good steak, marbling has a lot to do with it and following food safety makes it even better.

The post Meat – What’s Marbling Got to Do With It? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer, which means it’s time to grill! Grill masters armed with tongs, spatulas, sauces and seasonings fire up the pit and celebrate the season with burgers, brats, chicken, steak – the list goes on and on. You’ve no doubt got your favorites! But do you ever wonder if that meat you’ve sizzled to perfection is truly done? Fear not, grill master! Best Food Facts is here to help you master the art of internal cooking temperatures!

Grill on!

_{“Grilling” by Andrew Czap is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0}

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