HIGH-CONCENTRATIONS OF THE CARCINOGEN 2-AMINO-1-METHYL-6-PHENYLIMIDAZO-[4,5-B]PYRIDINE (PHIP) OCCUR IN CHICKEN BUT ARE DEPENDENT ON THE COOKING METHOD

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mutagenic and carcinogenic com pounds found in meats cooked at high temperatures. Although chicken is consumed in large quantities in the United States, there is little in formation on its HAA content. The objective of this study was to measu re the five predominant HAAs (IQ, MeIQ, MeIQx, DiMeIQx, and PhIP) in c hicken cooked by various methods to different degrees of doneness. Chi cken breasts were panfried, oven-broiled, or grilled/barbecued. Whole thickens were roasted or stewed. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts we re cooked to three degrees of doneness: just until done, well done, or very well done. High levels of PNP (ranging from 12 to 480 ng/g cooke d meat) were found in chicken breasts when panfried, oven-broiled, and grilled/barbecued but not in whole roasted or stewed thicken. PhIP co ncentration increased in skinless, boneless chicken breast with longer cooking time, higher internal temperature, and greater degree of surf ace browning. PhIP concentration was also high in chicken breasts cook ed with Skin and bones. MeIQx and DiMeIQx levels increased with the de gree of doneness, whereas IQ and MeIQ were not detectable in any of th ese chicken samples. Certain cooking methods produce PhIP, a known col on and breast carcinogen in rodents and possibly a human carcinogen, a t substantially higher levels in chicken than has been reported previo usly in red meat.