New Report Finds Grilled Chicken Contains Highest Levels of Carcinogens
By Jennifer Reilly, R.D.
 Are grilled foods increasing your family’s risk of cancer?
Many consumers don’t realize that grilling some food products
can produce cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines,
or HCAs.
Which foods contain the highest concentrations of these carcinogens?
To answer that question, nutrition professionals with The Cancer
Project determined the level of HCAs found in commonly grilled
foods.
The results, detailed in a new report titled “The Five Worst
Foods to Grill,” are eye-opening. Grilled chicken, wrongly
considered a healthful food by some consumers, actually contains
the highest concentrations of carcinogenic HCAs. Other meat products,
including beef, pork, salmon, and hamburger, also contain alarmingly
high HCA levels.
Health authorities are increasingly concerned about the role HCAs
play in America’s high cancer rates. In January 2005, the
federal government added HCAs to its official list of carcinogens.
Researchers have known for decades that meat consumption dramatically
increases cancer risk. Recent studies underscore that fact. In
2003, for example, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported
that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal women who ate
the most animal fat was a third higher than that of women who ate
the least animal fat.
Carcinogens Form as Meat Cooks
But while animal fat itself increases cancer risk, it’s
also clear that the HCAs found in grilled meats are a critical
factor. As known mutagens, HCAs can bind directly to DNA, cause
mutation, and promote cancer initiation.
HCAs are produced during cooking from the creatine, amino acids,
and sugars found in chicken and other muscle tissues. Grilling
is particularly dangerous because the high heat and long cooking
times promote the formation of carcinogens. The longer and hotter
the meat is cooked, the more of these compounds form.
Grilling meat also produces other mutagens, including polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, which are widely believed to play a significant
role in human cancers.
Many Vegetarian Options Available
To avoid these carcinogens, Americans don’t have to stop
grilling. They should simply choose vegetarian options. As the
new Cancer Project report explains, safer alternatives include
veggie burgers, portobello mushroom steaks, and veggie brochettes.
Grilled vegetables and fruits have no HCAs or negligible amounts,
even when cooked over the hottest flames. These plant-based foods
are also low in fat and full of fiber—and they’re packed
with subtle and delicious flavors, especially when they’re
hot off the grill. For more vegetarian recipes or a copy of the
full report, go to www.CancerProject.org.
 Jennifer Reilly, R.D., is managing director of The Cancer
Project.
She can be reached at jreilly@CancerProject.org.
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