Anses Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire Alimentation Environnement Travail

Barbecuing

Is it dangerous?

No, except if toxic compounds settle on foods or are inhaled when charcoal or firelighters are burning.
Cooking food at high temperatures, especially in direct contact with flames, can lead to the formation of chemical compounds on the surface, some of which have carcinogenic properties, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) in particular.
Nevertheless, all of the scientific data currently available show that the risk of excess food exposure to these compounds when barbecuing is fully limited if the principles for using the technical barbecues existing on the market and certain cooking recommendations are complied with.

The recommendations issued by the Agency are based on a PAH study. On 29 July 2003, the Agency issued an opinion and the French Consumer Safety Committee (CSC) also produced a report on the subject.

The principles to follow

· Think about adjusting the cooking height
To prevent mass formation of PAHs and pyrolytically derived products of amino acids, food must be cooked by the heat of the embers, and not in direct contact with the flames (which often reach temperatures of around 500°C). It is not advised to exceed a cooking temperature of around 220°C, which, in the case of barbecuing, generally means placing a rack at least 10 cm from the embers if it is a horizontal barbecue, or better still, opting for a vertical barbecue.

· Consumers who often use a charcoal barbecue should use refined charcoal (> 85% carbon or category A) rather than ordinary charcoal.

· Firelighters, whether in liquid, solid or gel form, are intended to facilitate the lighting of charcoal with a view to creating effective embers. They must have burned completely before the meat is placed on the rack. They should not be used to rekindle the fire under any circumstances.

· The leaner the meat, the lower the risk of PAH formation. But if cooking techniques are poorly applied, this risk increases. This is because drops of fat falling on the glowing embers from the meat may provoke flames and smoke which contribute to PAH formation in contact with meat. It is therefore recommended to cover the source with a light sprinkling of ash, or remove visible fat from meat.

· For safety and hygiene reasons, you should regularly clean the fat off racks and grates if you have an electric barbecue.

Advice from the CSC

The CSC advises that:
· because of fire risks, a barbecue should not be used in an enclosed area (such as a garage) or when it's windy
· children must be kept well away
· a constant eye should be kept on the fire, which should be put out properly after use
· the barbecue should be stable
· a long fork should be used to pick up the food
· you should have something to put out the flames nearby should an accident occur (bucket of water, extinguisher, etc.)