Ready-to-eat meat foods largely free of carcinogens
WASHINGTON: Prefer eating a hot dog than enjoying some rotisserie chicken as a new research says that hot dogs as well as pepperoni and deli meats are relatively free of carcinogenic compounds.
But it's a not-so-happy ending for bacon and rotisserie chicken -- especially chicken skin -- because both have higher levels of the cancerous material, the journal Meat Science reports.
J. Scott Smith, professor of food chemistry, and a Kansas State University research team have been looking at such ready-to-eat meat products to determine their levels of heterocyclic amines, or HCAsm, according to a Kansas statement.
These are carcinogenic compounds found in meat that is fried, grilled or cooked at high temperatures, which if consumed in amounts have increased risk of stomach, colon and breast cancers.
Smith has already researched HCA levels in cooked meat and found that adding certain spices and marinades before cooking can reduce HCA content in the meat.
The study focuses on eight types of ready-to-eat meat products -- beef hot dogs, beef-pork-turkey hot dogs, deli roast beef, deli ham, deli turkey, fully cooked bacon, pepperoni and rotisserie chicken.
"These are the most common types of ready-to-eat products, and their use has increased in recent years because of convenience," Smith said.
But it's a not-so-happy ending for bacon and rotisserie chicken -- especially chicken skin -- because both have higher levels of the cancerous material, the journal Meat Science reports.
J. Scott Smith, professor of food chemistry, and a Kansas State University research team have been looking at such ready-to-eat meat products to determine their levels of heterocyclic amines, or HCAsm, according to a Kansas statement.
These are carcinogenic compounds found in meat that is fried, grilled or cooked at high temperatures, which if consumed in amounts have increased risk of stomach, colon and breast cancers.
Smith has already researched HCA levels in cooked meat and found that adding certain spices and marinades before cooking can reduce HCA content in the meat.
The study focuses on eight types of ready-to-eat meat products -- beef hot dogs, beef-pork-turkey hot dogs, deli roast beef, deli ham, deli turkey, fully cooked bacon, pepperoni and rotisserie chicken.
"These are the most common types of ready-to-eat products, and their use has increased in recent years because of convenience," Smith said.
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