EFFECT OF MICROWAVE PRETREATMENT ON HETEROCYCLIC AROMATIC AMINE MUTAGENS CARCINOGENS IN FRIED BEEF PATTIES/

To investigate a method to reduce the amount of mutagenic/carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines formed during frying of ground beef, the mutagenic activity in Salmonella strain TA98 was assessed and the amo unt of known heterocyclic amines was determined by solid-phase extract ion and HPLC. The beef patties received microwave treatment for variou s times before frying. Microwave pretreatment for 0, 1, 1.5, 2 or 3 mi n before frying at either 200 degrees C or 250 degrees C for 6 min per side reduced heterocyclic aromatic amine precursors (creatine, creati nine, amino acids, glucose), water, and fat up to 30%, in the patties and resulted in a decrease in mutagenic activity up to 95%. The sum of the four heterocyclic aromatic amines shown to be ent-2-amino-3,8-dim ethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f ]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiM eIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-decre ased three- to nine-fold compared with control, non-microwaved beef pa tties fried under identical conditions.