Effects of cooking methods and tea marinades on the formation of heterocyclic amines and benzo[a]pyrene in grilled drumsticks

Abstract

The effects of different grilling methods and tea marinades on the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and benzo[a] pyrene (BaP) in grilled chicken drumsticks were investigated. This study showed that both the grilling method and type of charcoal used in charcoal grilling had a significant effect on the formation of HCAs and BaP. The total content of HCAs and BaP detected in drumsticks was the lowest under electric roasting, at 7.25 and 0.04 ng/g, respectively; thus, the electric grill can be used as an alternative grilling method to meet consumer demands for safety. The free radical scavenging ability of tea infusion was significantly higher than that of spice infusion. The white tea marinade significantly increased radical scavenging activity and prevented formation of HCAs and BaP more than the green tea marinade; thus, tea marinade can be applied to flavoring as a pretreatment to preserve the quality of meat and to decrease the generation of HCAs and BaP during cooking.