: Eating burned food You often hear common advices about not eating burned food because of the development of carcinogenic matter. Let's say a pizza that has been kept too long in the oven; not completely burned, but not fresh

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

cancer.gov

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
are chemicals formed when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, or
poultry, is cooked using high-temperature methods, such as pan frying
or grilling directly over an open flame

These chemicals are found to be mutagenic and may increase the risk of cancer.

From the same article, things that influence how much HCA's and PAH's are:

meat type
cooking method
"doneness” level (rare, medium, or well done)

Whatever the type of meat, however, meats cooked at high temperatures,
especially above 300ºF (as in grilling or pan frying), or that are
cooked for a long time tend to form more HCAs. For example, well done,
grilled, or barbecued chicken and steak all have high concentrations
of HCAs. Cooking methods that expose meat to smoke or charring
contribute to PAH formation

For bioactivation the HCA'S and PAH's need to be metabolized by specific enzymes in the body. While:

Studies have shown that exposure to HCAs and PAHs can cause cancer in
animal models

Population studies have not established a definitive link between HCA
and PAH exposure from cooked meats and cancer in humans

Additional highlights:

More research is being done
No official FDA guidelines are available
The cancer.gov article did give some tips on how to reduce HCA and PAH formation when cooking
Better Health Websites