Many reports suggest that caramelizing sugar to create color for braised meat and fish poses a cancer risk. Is this true or false?
Caramelizing sugar to create a color for braised meat and fish is a common practice in many households. However, from a scientific perspective, it is not advisable to caramelize sugar at home as it can have several health implications.
It is best not to caramelize sugar for cooking.
For instance, home cooks often use sugar based on intuition, making it difficult to measure the amount consumed. If these foods are consumed in excess over a long period, the excess sugar will accumulate in the body as stored fat, leading to overweight and obesity.
Most people typically use brown or white sugar to create the color. When heated to around 150 degrees Celsius, the sugar loses water, forming simple sugar molecules and changing color and flavor, a process known as “caramelization reaction”. In restaurants, experienced chefs still use caramelized sugar to achieve attractive colors and appealing flavors.
However, overheating when caramelizing sugar is quite common, and some people even let the sugar burn and smoke before adding water. This process can produce harmful chemicals such as carcinogens, heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), all of which contribute to cancer development.
Therefore, it is best not to caramelize sugar for cooking. The simplest solution is to use pre-made products with clear origins and specified quantities to avoid excessive sugar use.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh
Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
