Q I stopped eating barbecued food after reading that it can
cause cancer. Is this true?
Dorothy
Linden Park
South Australia
A Dorothy, a sensible question deserves a sensible answer.
You won't get one from my husband so here is my reply.
I bet that whatever you were reading referred to PAHs (polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons). This was the subject of a media beat up
a while back. These are carcinogens formed in smoke when fat
drips on to the coals or flames below.
The key word here is 'flames'. Flames cause charring and you
certainly would not want to make excessively blackened meat a
regular part of your diet. However, if you cook the meat properly
over coals then the risk of taking in carcinogens is minimised.
Trimming off all visible fat is also important to avoid flame-ups
(as well as bad cholesterol).
Many health experts seem to agree that you would have to
consume huge amounts of barbecued foods to elevate your
cancer risk. In my experience, the biggest health threat
associated with barbecuing is food poisoning. Poorly stored
or thawed meat, particularly chicken and seafood, is likely to
be jumping with bacteria. My tip is to keep everything cooled
until it's ready to be cooked.
Mrs Blue
A Life must be hell for you Dorothy - having to dodge all those
meteorites whenever you emerge from your bunker.
BBQ Blue
A See, I was right.
Mrs Blue