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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Augusta, Ga. – As the weather warms, more families head outdoors for good times and good food, and that often means grilling.
Whether you are barbecuing for a holiday celebration or cooking burgers on a routine Saturday, learn to grill food properly to stave off illness.
When it comes to grilling, there are two main dangers to avoid: (1)
carcinogens, which are agents that can cause cancer, and (2) food
poisoning.
Although the smoke caused by dripping fat on a grill can be dangerous,
the bigger risk comes from using extremely high heat for grilling. When
meat is cooked at temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the amino
acids in the protein form chemicals that have been linked to cancer.
Research has shown that people who eat beef well done are more than
three times likely to develop cancer.
However, that doesn’t mean you can undercook meat. Meat must cook
completely and thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and
salmonella.
So what are the ingredients of healthy grilling? Besides food and a
grill, you need a reliable thermometer to regulate your cooking
temperature and a few healthy techniques.
When shopping, buy meat and poultry last, and separate it from other
food in your shopping cart. Drive directly home from the grocery store
or have a cooler with you to preserve cold foods. At home, place meat
and poultry in the refrigerator immediately on the bottom shelf by
itself to avoid contaminating other foods. If not cooking meat within a
couple of days, place it in the freezer to avoid bacteria growth.
If using meat from the freezer, be sure to completely thaw it before
grilling so that it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow,
safe thawing, or thaw sealed packages in cold water. You can use your
microwave’s special defrost settings if the food will be placed
immediately on the grill after thawing.
Here are some grilling techniques to avoid:
● Marinating or defrosting on the counter.
● Charred or blackened meat.
● Undercooking beef, chicken or shrimp.
● Reusing marinade as a dipping sauce.
● Letting food sit out all day.
If you want to grill safely, use these grilling techniques:
● Cook hamburgers to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken to
170 degrees Fahrenheit.
● Don’t leave food outside in hot weather for more than two hours
and no more than one hour if outside temperatures are above 90 degrees.
● Wash your hands frequently.
● Before you get started, scrub the grill with hot soapy water.
● Always use separate dishes, cutting boards, brushes and utensils
for raw and cooked meats, or wash them in hot soapy water between uses.
● Thaw meats properly.
● Use a marinade. Marinating has been shown to significantly reduce
cancerous chemicals in foods prior to cooking.
● If you like a smoky flavor, brush on liquid smoke. It’s much
safer.
● Oil your grill to prevent charred material from sticking to your
food.
● Grill only lean cuts of meat. Cut away visible fat and remove skin
from chicken.
● You may also want to precook meats in the microwave for two to five
minutes. Research has shown this also reduces those cancerous chemicals
by an amazing 90 percent.
Where there’s smoke, there’s cancer risk. And with food,
contamination is always a possibility. So whether in the back yard or on
your next family camping trip, don’t get burned by poor grilling
practices.
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation
operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical
Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient
facilities and services throughout the state. For more information,
please visit mcghealth.org.
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