Eating burnt foods, especially meat, can pose serious risks to health, including an increased risk of cancer. When celebrating a barbecue or eating at an all you can eat restaurant, the food often becomes overcooked or burnt.
Food cooked at high temperatures can form a dangerous compound called acrylamide. Acrylamide is a chemical with toxic and carcinogenic properties that is often found in industry. When it enters the body, acrylamide can turn into glycidamide, a compound that damages DNA. This DNA damage can cause uncontrolled cell growth and ultimately lead to cancer.
Acrylamide is formed from the reaction between the natural amino acid asparagine and several carbohydrates. This compound is not found in raw foods or those prepared by boiling. Dairy, meat and fish products are also less likely to contain acrylamide, unless they are processed incorrectly.
Apart from acrylamide, there are two other dangerous chemicals that form when meat is cooked at high temperatures: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heterocyclic amines (HAC). PAHs are formed when fat and juices from meat drip onto the fire during the frying, grilling, or grilling process. Direct contact with fire produces PAHs which can stick to the surface of meat.
Meanwhile, HAC is formed from reactions between molecules, including amino acids and sugars, when meat is exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time. The longer the meat is cooked, the higher the HAC content.
To reduce the formation of HAC, you can heat the meat briefly in the microwave before cooking at high temperatures. This reduces cooking time over fire and lowers HAC production.
Medical experts recommend the “golden rule” in cooking, which is to cook food until it is yellow, not brown or black, to limit the formation of acrylamide. Cooking at low temperatures also has risks because bacteria may not be killed, increasing the risk of food poisoning. Therefore, it is important to find balance in cooking.
