Roasted and barbecued meats contain carcinogens, says government report
Lovers of fatty roast pork, or siu yuk, have been warned against eating excessive amounts of the dish because it contains chemicals that cause cancer.
Other barbecued meat, or siu mei, such as roast duck and barbecued pork, and dried meat, also all contain cancer-causing agents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), according to a study by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Vehicle emissions, dust and tobacco smoke also contain these chemicals.
The department found that those foods with the highest level of the carcinogenic agents were cooked with charcoal. This is especially true for burnt parts, skin and fatty areas.
Meats cooked under gas or electrical grills had other PAHs but not ones that cause cancer.