Does BBQ Cause Cancer? And How to Reduce the Risk?

Barbecues are a crowd-pleaser, a celebration meal, a summertime activity, and much more. Given its popularity, people are rightly alarmed when they hear claims about barbecue food being unsafe and causing cancer!

Are these claims reasonable? Or is this just a ploy on the part of media companies to get more views and money? Is your family in danger now that you have consumed barbecue food? How can you have a safe barbecue?

We will tackle all these questions in this post as we examine if barbecuing is inherently carcinogenic. We will also see some of the best practices for safe grilling and address some of the frequently asked questions.

Let’s get started!

When barbecue food is cooked on very high heat, it produces compounds like Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs), Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Acrylamide that could theoretically cause cancer, but no study has proven that these compounds cause cancer in humans. 

Almost all the studies conducted used rats in their experiments. They fed the rats from a thousand to ten thousand times the normal amount of carcinogenic compounds before they got cancer. This overdose is a problem because it would override the ability of the body to repair itself. It also doesn’t account for the fact that the digestive system of rats isn’t accustomed to cooked food, which would make their bodies react differently as compared to humans.

What Are The Harmful Compounds In Charred Meat?

Charred meat contains mutagenic compounds like Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs), Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Acrylamides which react with our body to form toxic chemical compounds that could damage our DNA. These compounds are all the result of This process is called bioactivation. Read more about bioactivation here.

Guidelines For Avoiding Harmful Compounds

Even though small amounts of harmful compounds are not proven to have any adverse effects on humans, you may still want to be cautious. 

There are several ways to reduce or even eliminate the harmful compounds so you can enjoy your summer BBQ parties with friends and family fearlessly. 

Here are some risk-reducing guidelines which you must put into practice:

Eat More Non-Starchy Vegetables

Guess what, our mothers are always right! Stacking up on veggies is good for you, even at a barbecue.

When you grill meat at high temperatures, it changes the DNA composition and forms Heterocyclic amines (HCA) and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). This is caused mainly because of the extreme heating of fats and proteins. Non-starchy vegetables don’t have the same levels of fat and protein as meat, which reduces exposure to these compounds. Studies suggest that the flavonoids present in green vegetables, herbs, and fruits help inhibit the effect of carcinogenic compounds. 

I recommend non-starchy vegetables because starchy vegetables (like potatoes) create harmful compounds (acrylamides) 

Marinate Your Meat with Spices and Herbs

Letting your meat marinate isn’t just good for tenderizing it and adding flavor, but it also keeps the meat safe from HCAs and PAHs. 

The meat typically soaks up the marinade and is less prone to getting burnt by the flames. This prevents excessive charring on the meat. Moreover, the herbs and spices in the meat help block the HCAs because of the flavonoid content.

Be sure to marinate your meat for at least 30 minutes before cooking to give the meat a chance to absorb the marinade. Marinate overnight in the fridge for best results.

Be Patient While Grilling

The leading cause for the formation of carcinogens is the exposure to high heat. If you cook meat at high temperatures for an extended period, there will be more HCAs and PAHs. To avoid this problem, cook your meat low and slow. This will prevent the formation of harmful compounds and also result in soft, tender, juicy meat. 

Also, starting your cook early will keep you from being tempted to crank up the heat. 

Flip the Meat Frequently

People often put their meat on the grill for more than ten minutes before flipping it. This produces better char marks, but it also increases the chances of the formation of HCA. To avoid this, you must flip your meat often. 

Flipping your meat every 6 minutes reduces the formation of HCAs and PAHs by 70%, and you can see much better results by flipping more often. However, it may be challenging to do this throughout the cooking process since it will require a lot of stamina. To avoid this problem, you could use specialized equipment (like rotisseries).

Use a Gas Grill

If you are not familiar with how to control the combustion in a grill, a gas grill is your best bet. Using a gas grill allows you to have better control over the grill’s temperature compared to charcoal grilling systems. 

If buying a new Gas grill is too much of an investment, you can try the next technique.

Use the Reverse Searing Technique

Reverse searing is done by cooking the meat with a low, indirect heat before searing the outside over high direct heat. To heat the meat indirectly, simply place the meat away from the active heat source. Some grills also allow you to move the grill rack away from the heat source. Once the meat is cooked, you can increase the heat so that the flames come in contact with the meat to give you a chargrilled flavor.

This method guarantees perfectly cooked meat with an ideal internal temperature and optimal charring on the outside. Learn more about the reverse searing technique.

Use Aluminum Foil

Use aluminum foil to wrap the meat and veggies when grilling to avoid the over-charring or searing. Aluminum foil wrapping protects the food from direct heat and therefore mitigates the formation of carcinogenic compounds. 

Wrapping aluminum foil also prevents the drippings from reaching the heat source to cause PAHs compounds and flare-ups.

Cook the Meat Sous Vide

When cooking sous vide, the meat is cooked indirectly in a constant-temperature water bath. The meat and seasoning are wrapped in a sous vide bag and then vacuum sealed before they are put in the water bath. 

This method ensures perfectly grilled meat, but it does not give you any charring on the meat surface. To get the smoky flavor of barbecue, you will have to sear it with direct heat after cooking the meat. Learn more about cooking sous vide.

Pre-Cook in a Microwave

This is similar to the sous vide method, but just not as tasty. Cooking the meat in the microwave can get your meat cooked before grilling. However, you may not be able to control the meat’s temperature, and you will definitely not be able to bring the heat up slowly. This will result in reduced grilling time at the expense of meat tenderness.

Once the meat is cooked, you can sear it in the grill to get the chargrilled flavor on the outside. If you are going to grill often, buying a sous vide machine is a worthwhile investment.

Use a Cooking Thermometer

The best way to ensure that you are cooking food sufficiently without overcooking it is by using a grill thermometer. By using a cooking thermometer, you can measure the internal temperature of the meat. Don’t cook the meat above this temperature to avoid the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

If the temperature is too high, you risk getting HCAs and PAHs on the meat. 

If the temperature is too low, you run the risk of not killing the meat’s bacteria. All meats, including pork, veal, and beef, are considered safe when their internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C). If the meat is minced, their internal temperature must reach 160°F (71°C). If you’re cooking poultry, the internal temperature must be 165°F (74°C). 

Avoid Grilling Cold and Hot Batches of Food Together

Cooking different batches of food together can be problematic unless you’re using a cooking thermometer. You run the risk of not cooking the colder batch enough and overcooking the warmer batch of food.

Trim Off the Fat

When the fat on the meat melts, it makes the meat tender and juicy. When this fat drips onto the heat source, it vaporizes into a smoke. This smoke gets absorbed back into the meat, packing in a lot of flavors. However, when the drippings vaporize, it also creates and transmits PAHs into the food. So removing the excess fat will reduce the PAHs, but it will also reduce the smokey flavor. 

Do this only if you are concerned about the small levels of PAHs in your food.

Avoid Overconsumption

Though I wish every day was barbecue-day, like all good things in life, Barbecuing is good in moderation. 

Grilling regularly or overeating can be harmful to you. Reserve barbecuing for special occasions and prepare some yummy barbecue sides and delicious barbecue desserts to go along with the grilled food. This will limit the amount of HCAs and PAHs you ingest.

Avoiding Non-Carcinogenic Health Risks

Maintain Food Hygiene

Ensure that your cooking area is clean to avoid the problems caused by a lack of proper hygiene. 

When defrosting meat, it is best to do it by keeping it in the refrigerator. If you remove frozen meat from the fridge and leave it outside for too long, it could lead to bacteria formation. Therefore, don’t leave the meat outside for more than one hour.

Don’t put the raw and cooked food at the same utensil and don’t use the same cutting board for cutting the vegetables and meat. This can result in cross-contamination as harmful microorganisms and blood present in raw meat. 

When you are done grilling, make sure to clean your grill the right way. 

Choose Your Ingredients Wisely

When choosing ingredients, make sure that:

1. They aren’t expired: Expired foods can do you a lot of harm. BBQ sauces often go bad because they are past their expiry date. Be sure to read the labeling and trust your nose to tell you if your food is spoilt.
2. You aren’t allergic to them: If you are lactose or fructose intolerant, you must choose sauces that don’t have these allergens. Also, if you are gluten-intolerant, check out our article on having a gluten-free BBQ.
3. They’re not conflicting with your diet: If you buy a sugar-laden sauce, it may hurt your keto diet. Instead, learn about how to have a keto-friendly BBQ. 

Most people purchase barbecue sauce, but if you want to have complete control over the ingredients, I recommend making your own BBQ Sauce. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do Charred Meats Have HCAs and PAHs?
  

  Yes, overly seared and charred meats have a higher content of HCAs and PAHs. If you are weary of these compounds, you can prevent charring by controlling the temperature while grilling. If the meat gets charred, then you can always cut the charred bits off before eating. 

• Do Grilled Vegetables have Carcinogens?
  

  Grilled vegetables that are low on starch do not produce carcinogens when heated on a grill. Green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are known to fight cancer because of the presence of flavonoids.

  If you are using starchy vegetables like potatoes, be sure to not fry, grill, or bake them in very high temperatures. However, even if you do, the levels of carcinogens produced in it are limited and not conclusively proven to cause cancer.

• Do Herbs and Spices Help in Preventing Carcinogenic Compounds?
  

  Fresh green herbs are loaded with antioxidants. The volatile oils and other composites present in herbs and spices prevent the formation of HCAs and PAHs. Herbs like rosemary, basil, thyme, and oregano are well known for their anti-carcinogenic properties. Rosemary itself can kill up to eighty percent of HCAs and also prevent bacterial growth.

  Similarly, garlic and ginger also have anti-carcinogenic properties, so it is good to marinate your grilled meat with it.

• Does Heating Food for Longer Increase Carcinogenic Compounds?
  

  Yes, the formation of HCAs and PAHs depends on the temperature and duration of cooking. If you grill meat on high temperatures for a long time, there is a greater chance of forming carcinogenic compounds.

• Does The Grill Fuel Type Affect The Formation of PAHs?
  

  Yes, but only up to a certain degree. All fuel sources have PAH, so no fuel source will eliminate PAHs. However, gas grills are more beneficial because it is easier to control the heat and avoid smoke. This will effectively reduce the amount of PAHs that get absorbed by the food. However, keep in mind that normal levels of PAHs have not been conclusively proven to be carcinogenic in humans.

Summary

The great news is that you don’t need to avoid BBQ food. The assertion that barbecue food causes cancer is inconclusive, and you shouldn’t worry about it too much. If you like to err on the side of caution, follow the guidelines mentioned above, and you are sure to have a safe and healthy barbecue.

If you must worry about cancer, stop going out in the sun, because the evidence for sun rays causing cancer is far more compelling.