Five Things to Beware of This Barbecue Season
by www.SixWise.com
If you haven't yet brought your barbecue grill out from hibernation,
you surely will have it fired up in time for the proverbial
start of summer: Memorial Day.
As of 2001, about 75 percent of American households own a
barbecue grill (and more than half of these households use
the grill year-round). Their allure, no doubt, stems not only
from their ability to cook up tasty hamburgers and steaks
but also from their starring role at countless outdoor family
gatherings.
|
Millions of Americans look forward to summer barbecues,
but many are now questioning whether the nostalgic taste
makes up for the potential risks.
|
Before you gear up for barbecue season this year, though,
you should know that there are some, quite serious, risks
involved. From the risk of burns to the creation of toxic
compounds in your food, barbecue grills may not be as safe
as they're cracked up to be.
1. Burns to Kids and Pets
More than 6,000 fires and explosions every year are caused
by barbecue grills, according to the National Fire Protection
Association. Such accidents, which can be caused by dripping
grease causing grease fires or children adding gas to the
flames, result in 20,000 visits to the emergency room and
cause $29 million in damages each year.
Meanwhile, children and pets can easily become
seriously burned by touching even the outside of a hot,
unattended grill.
The HearthGate™
barbecue and fireplace protection gate is an excellent
solution and a smart investment for anyone with children,
grandchildren or pets. It keeps kids safely away from the
grill and out of harm's way.
2. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Barbecue grill smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals known
as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. When the smoke surrounds
your food -- particularly when fat drips onto the heat source
and causes excess smoke -- it transfers PAHs to your food.
You can reduce the amount of PAHs when you grill by not cooking
fatty meats, or by putting a layer of foil between the meat
and the coals. Also, you should cook your food with indirect
heat, such as on a rack rather than directly on the coals.
3. Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs)
Heterocyclic amines form when food is cooked at a high temperature,
either by grilling, broiling, frying or searing. The chemicals
have been linked to cancer.
The worst part of the meat, from an HCA perspective, is the
blackened section. To reduce your risk from HCAs, avoid charring
your meat (and don't eat the black parts), cook it partially
before putting it on the grill, or cook smaller pieces of
meat, which take less time to cook, and therefore give HCAs
less time to form.
Meanwhile, according to David Diamond, M.D., Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Medical's chief of medicine, marinating
meats before grilling or broiling them can reduce HCAs by
90 percent or more.
4. Avanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
Advanced glycation end products are also produced when meats
are cooked at high temperatures, such as while grilling, frying
or broiling (they're also produced when foods are pasteurized
or sterilized).
AGEs, according to researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
in New York, build up in the body over time leading to oxidative
stress, inflammation
and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney
disease.
The researchers recommended boiling, steaming and stewing
foods as a safe alternative to grilling. Meanwhile, some evidence
also suggests that using acidic marinades including lemon
juice and vinegar might help to fight AGEs.
5. Food Poisoning
When people at barbecues think about food poisoning, they
often relate it to the mayonnaise-based salad dressings and
potato, chicken and tuna salads. However, barbecued meat that
is undercooked or improperly handled can also be a source
of food-borne
illness like salmonella.
Aside from making sure the meat is cooked to a safe temperature
(but definitely NOT overdone or charred), you can reduce your
risk of food poisoning from barbecued meat by thawing meat
before cooking it, grilling it as soon as you take it out
of the refrigerator, and promptly refrigerating any leftovers.
Recommended Reading
Before
You Swim This Summer, You Should Know What Is Lurking at Your
Beach
Bugs
that Bite: Interesting Facts & Necessary Precautions on
the Insects That Crave You
Sources
Journal
of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, April 2007, 62:427-433
CBC
News
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Medical
ABCNews.com