Cooking steak on gas hob 'may increase risk of cancer'

Frying your steak over a gas hob could raise the risk of lung cancer because of the fumes and tiny particles given off during cooking, research suggests...

Cooking fumes have been shown to cause changes in DNA that may lead to cancer, and using a gas hob appeared to be worse and created more of the harmful particles than using an electric one, the study conducted in Norway found.

The researchers said exposure to the fumes should be kept to a minimum and added that professional chefs were at particular risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified high-temperature frying as 'probably carcinogenic to humans', the same category as diesel and some insecticides.

The study involved frying 17 beefsteaks on a gas or electric hob consecutively for 15 minutes using margarine or soya bean oil. The frying was conducted in a specially built kitchen designed to mimic a commercial restaurant kitchen with an extractor over the hob.

Dr Deborah Jarvis, who works at the National Heart and Lung Institute said: ‘This new study may help us understand why these inconsistencies occur. The public health message to the general public remains the same - keep your kitchen well-ventilated when cooking, and make sure all your gas appliances are well maintained.' Their research follows findings that eating overcooked or burnt red meat increases the risk of tumours due to the creation of carcinogenic compounds called acrylamides. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH NEWS