Temperature regime and formation of carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines

The effects of thermal treatment conditions on the 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) levels formed in pork samples of different matrices (pork steak vs. pork mince) were studied. Oven air temperature oscillations above the set-point temperature of 200 degrees C were produced using an on-off controller. Oscillations that reached 1.2 degrees C amplitude showed formation of one-fifth to one-tenth the PhIP levels in the pork steak and mince compared to the maximum air temperature oscillations that produced temperatures of up to 211.5 degrees C. The MeIQx levels in pork steaks were not significantly affected by the temperature oscillations, while they were doubled in pork mince. To reduce the levels of these heterocyclic aromatic amines, an oven with precise temperature control is significantly more important than other options during the cooking of pork.