Leave it to scientists to ruin a barbeque. Research over the years has suggested that grilling meat, fish or chicken can release some carcinogenic chemicals into your meal, especially when it's the tasty, charred kind. Then there's the fear that backyard chefs may neglect to cook the food all the way through, allowing salmonella to creep in and causing your guests to leave with a stomachache, or worse.
So throw away the grill and fire up the wok? Not a chance. The American Dietetic Association and other groups offer advice on how you can eat your hamburger and feel healthy about it, too. Experts recommend the following steps for a safe, delicious barbeque.
First off, make sure everything is clean:
- Scrub the grill, utensils and coolers with hot, soapy water.
- Use separate utensils when handling raw and cooked meat.
What's cooking? To avoid salmonella and other food poisoning:
- Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods, like potato salad, separate.
- Do not keep perishable foods out in the hot sun for more than an hour.
- Cook hamburgers and chicken thoroughly. Looking done on the outside is not enough.
- Buy a thermometer and check that hamburgers reach at least 160 degrees and chicken 170 degrees.
You can reduce the risk of cancer by:
- Marinating foods with vegetable oils or spices before grilling.
- Removing visible fat.
- Precooking the meat in a microwave or oven.
- Keeping the food from dripping directly on the coals and keeping smoke to a minimum.
- Scraping off the charred parts of the food.
- Choosing fish over chicken and chicken over red meat.
