
As with any other cooking method, we encourage you to be conscious of the amount of fat/oil you use and try not to burn the meat. This is because the high temperatures stimulate a reaction between the amino acids in the meat and the creatine in the muscle of the meat (including red meat, pork, poultry, and fish), producing compounds called heterocyclic amines (or HCAs).
There is evidence that HCAs can increase risk of cancer. But remember, BBQs don't have to involve meat. There are meat alternatives that can be cooked on the BBQ, such as marinated firm tofu, lentil burgers or falafels, and seasonal vegetables get a delicious smoky flavour when cooked on the BBQ. Learn what vegetables are in season in your state but some of our favourites are sweet corn, field mushrooms, red onion, red capsicum steaks and eggplant.