Researchers at Grenfell Campus’s Functional Foods Sensory Lab in Corner Brook have combined beer and grilling in a recent study.
The work has produced some interesting findings with respect to nutrition and food safety.
Researchers with the Raymond Thomas Research Group published the results of their study in two papers by lead researchers Natalia Vidal and Charles Manful.
“These papers show how novel unfiltered beer-based marinades formulated in the functional foods sensory laboratory were very effective in improving the nutritional quality, safety and sensory perception of grilled foods,” said Thomas in a press release from the university.
In the studies, low alcohol-by-volume (ABV), unfiltered craft beer marinades were used to reduce the formation of pro-cancer forming heterocyclic amines, which are common in grilled food. Simultaneously, the marinades preserved the anti-cancer conjugated fatty acids in grilled moose and beef while significantly improving the antioxidants.
“Basically, the novel beer-based marinades employed in this study could be a successful approach to improve the nutritional value, sensory perception and safety of grilled moose and beef,” said Raymond.
“These findings demonstrate that using unfiltered, beer-based marinades infused with herbs and spices during meat preparation and grilling appears to be effective in reducing carcinogens and their precursor formation, thereby improving the safety of grilled red meat.”
Thomas believes these findings will be of great interest at the provincial, national and international levels, considering the huge rise in craft breweries making low ABV beers that are infused with different herbs, spices and fruits, wheat and hops, as well as the popularity of these beers with consumers.
“This work shows an alternative use of craft beers in reducing the risks to carcinogens when consuming grilled foods, while simultaneously improving the nutritional quality, and retention of anticancer compounds in grilled meats,” he said.
