Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk

[PeterLG]

Any thoughts or counter arguments/research to this:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats

Would be silly if you couldn't brown meat properly at a high temp.

[cookalong]

Just my two cents. I don't really have any counter-arguments, but there are lots of mays and maybes. Heat does definitely produce those chemicals. Really high doses of those chemicals might be cancerogenic in rats and some other animals. Although I think several studies haven't found a connection. There might be one. Truth is, nobody knows for sure, so we have to make up our own minds, as always. And even if it's proven beyond doubt that it can cause cancer in rats, that doesn't necessarily (far from it) mean that it applies to humans.

Personally, I'm (as well as most federal recommendations) a lot more worried about the risk associated with cured meat and large amounts of red meat. Not that I ever worry about it, but the high temperature-thingy is the last thing I worry about.

Also, the amount of chemicals formed during browning depends on the cooking time, so just searing meat quickly is not as "bad" as a more lengthy cooking time (i.e. less HCAs/PAHs are formed).

Edited May 11, 2013 by cookalong (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

That info has been around for a long time. So have humans eating grilled meat. Ultimately everything we eat is poisonous or harmful in certain concentrations. And ultimately we're all going to die, no matter what we eat. Key seems to me to be eating a wide variety of relatively whole foods cooked with care and caring, eating thoughtfully but without being obsessive about it and through it all, enjoy!

[Chelseabun]

Ideally it would be better to read the original research the article was based on to make a comment. However, it does indicate the levels used in the research were very high. It is important I think to a balanced view. I am sure there will be more research (if not already) to quantify how much represents a risk. In terms of priority (and risk), I would like to cut down the quantity of processed meet I consume before I consider how much char is on my food. However, it is albeit still something to bear in mind.

The white Lion in my photo btw only consumes raw meat (still moving if it has the opportunity no doubt).