Effects of Different Cooking Methods on the Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Goose Meat

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) are mutagenic and/or carcinogenic compounds formed naturally during cooking of proteinaceous food such as meat and fish. In the present study, the effect of seven cooking methods (boiling, grilling, pan-frying without fat or oil, pan-frying with oil, deep fat frying, oven and microwave) on the formation of HCAs in goose breast and leg meats was evaluated. Varying levels of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (up to 2.42ng/g), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (up to 0.08ng/g), 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (up to 0.21ng/g), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (up to 0.80ng/g), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (up to 0.09ng/g), 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (up to 0.10ng/g), 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (up to 0.12ng/g) and 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (up to 0.24ng/g) were detected. No 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine was detected. The highest total HCAs amount for breast and leg meats belonged to microwaved breast meat (2.20ng/g) and boiled leg meat (2.42ng/g). Practical ApplicationsHeterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) are mutagenic and/or carcinogenic compounds formed naturally during cooking of meat and fish. Due to the fact that the formation of HCAs is related to the cooking methods, the HCAs formation as affected by various cooking methods has to be investigated. Determination of HCA amounts in different meats is very important to get a database and evaluate the relationship between nutrition and health. To date, more than 30 reports on HCAs content in poultry such as chicken, turkey and duck have been published. However, to the best of our knowledge, the HCA content in goose meat has not been investigated in the literature. The present study was therefore undertaken in an attempt to investigate the effects of different cooking methods on the formation of HCAs in goose breast and leg meats.