Mid-August, grilled meat and cancer risk: expert advice

2023-08-11 17:05:03

Mid-August time for grilled meat and fish in company. In the guide of the American Institute for Cancer Research (Aicr) on good practices for barbecues based on steaks and sausages, the advice on how to limit the carcinogenic risks associated with the practice of roasting meat is reiterated. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that can develop from the contact of meat fat with live embers are under observation by the Aicr. According to the Aicr, in fact, it is necessary to “marinate the meat a lot” to have a healthier grill, “since marinades made for example with lemon, oil, wine or vinegar would seem to reduce the formation of hydrocarbons”.

An expert on the cancer-meat consumption link is Mary Bert Terry, an oncological epidemiologist and professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School Public Health. According to the doctor, to reduce the carcinogenic risk of cooking on the grill it would be useful “to reduce the cooking times and exposure of the meat to the open flame” or “before placing the dishes on the barbecue, they should be partially cooked in the oven, in the microwave or in pan”. Above all – according to the expert – one must avoid “eating charred or in any case overcooked meat because it increases the deposit of harmful substances”.