collect, and on meats that are grilled, broiled,
or fried well done. Oven roasting leaves
relatively few HCAs on the meat but large
amounts in the pan drippings. Acid marinades
reduce HCA production, as does cooking
gently and aiming for a rare or medium
doneness. Vegetables, fruits, and acidophilus
bacteria (p. 47) appear to bind HCAs in the
digestive tract and prevent them from causing
damage.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAHs are
created when nearly any organic material,
including wood and fat, is heated to the point
that it begins to burn (p. 448). Cooking over a
smoky wood fire therefore deposits PAHs
from the wood on meat. A charcoal fire is
largely smokeless, but will create PAHs from
fat if the fat is allowed to fall and burn on the
coals, or if the fat ignites on the meat surface
itself. Small quantities of PAHs can also be
formed during high-temperature frying. The