Don’t Let Your BBQ Make You Sick!

Don’t Let Your BBQ Make You Sick!

Grilling really should be a fun outdoor event filled with delicious food and a fabulous time with friends and family. At the very least, it shouldn’t be a danger to your health. And that’s where having your BBQ Grill professionally cleaned regularly by 1st Choice Residential comes in.

Did you know that most BBQ Grills are many times dirtier than your home oven and even dirtier than a grill at a restaurant? It’s true. This is mainly because many people don’t know how and don’t have the time to take their grill apart and clean and sanitize it properly. Because of this, your BBQ Grill is a hotbed for the growth of mold, the festering of bacteria, and the build-up of carcinogens. And that, my friends, is going to make you or the people you care about sick.

Let’s take a closer look at just how a dirty grill is bad for your health.

Your Grill & Cancer-Causing Carcinogens

Carcinogens are substances that cause cancer and are linked to the formation during the process of BBQ grilling. When meat is cooked at a high temperature, the amino acids, sugars, and creatine in the meat react and forms heterocyclic amines.

Soon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form because the meat juices drip onto the coals or other hot surfaces (grill grate, etc) and a flare-up in the flames and in the smoke. When those are released, they then land on and stick to the grilled or smoked meat.

Both heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can cause changes in the DNA of cells, which means they can lead to cells becoming cancerous.

In short, carcinogens can cause cancer and those carcinogens can be found in all the grease and other burnt bits and pieces clinging to your grill outside.

If not cleaned properly, those carcinogenic substances can find their way into your food. The most important way to keep your grilling as carcinogenic-free as possible is to make sure it is cleaned well and cleaned often.

Let a professional do it for you for the absolute best results. 1st Choice Residential can help

Here are a few other small tips to avoid carcinogens getting into your food:

• Choose leaner meats or trim the fat away from your meat before grilling.
• Marinate your meat in a lemon or vinegar-based marinade instead of thick, sugary ones.
• Don’t press meat while it’s on the grill.
• Avoid “charring” your meat.
• Try to shorten the time your meat is on the grill.
• Go for more veggies and herbs.