MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
Division of University Relations
403 Olds Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1047
MEDIA CONTACT: J. Ian Gray, (517) 355-0123 or
Sue Nichols, University Relations, (517) 355-2281, [email protected]
12/16/98
CHERRY HAMBURGERS LOWER IN SUSPECTED CARCINOGENS
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Adding cherries to fried hamburgers may be another way to cut the risk of cancer, according to an MSU study.
Adding cherries to hamburger meat retards spoilage and reduces the formation of suspected cancer-causing compounds known as HAAs (heterocyclic aromatic amines), according to a report that will appear in the Dec. 21 edition of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published by the American Chemical Society.
According to author J. Ian Gray, professor of food science and director of the Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station, this is another indication that fruits may temper the risk associated with charred meats.
"This is a simple way to eliminate or reduce exposure to another set of carcinogens," Gray said. "There are vegetables and fruits that are blessed with compounds that can suppress the carcinogenic activities. That in itself is very good."
HAAs are formed naturally during cooking. Many of them have been determined to cause cancer in some animals and are suspected to be carcinogenic in humans. A primary cause of off-flavor, lipid oxidation also causes discoloring and texture change of meat during storage.
In the study, MSU researchers found that ground beef patties containing 15 percent fat and 11.5 percent tart cherry tissue had significantly fewer HAAs when pan fried, compared to patties without cherry tissue added. The overall HAA reduction ranged from nearly 69 percent to 78.5 percent. The reduction is "clearly due to cherry components functioning as inhibitors of the reaction(s) leading to HAA formation," according to the journal article.
"Cherry tissue will not only slow down the oxidative deterioration of meat lipids but also will substantially reduce the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines," Gray said.
Measurements done during the study showed that the fat content of cherry patties was lower than that of regular patties, but the moisture content was greater, thereby verifying early findings.
Previous research into the effect of combining cherry tissue with ground beef has shown the resulting product to be lower in fat, yet juicier and more tender than pure beef burgers.
Cherry burgers are on school menus in 16 states as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program, according to Ray Pleva, the northern Michigan butcher and cherry grower who created Plevalean, a patented ground beef and cherry product.
The states, Pleva said, are Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia.
Gray said these findings are part of ongoing work into discovering the benefits of combining fruits and vegetables with meats to decrease health hazards and improve nutrition and taste.
"The pursuit goes on for these compounds found in many foods - like garlic, onions and soybeans," Gray said. "We are getting a handle on how these compounds are formed and understanding how to reduce the risk."
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