Beer marinade may cut cancer risk from beef.

Marinating beef in beer or red wine may reduce the levels of potentially cancer-causing compounds, according to a new study conducted by Portugese scientists.

According to researchers from the University of Porto, the beer or red wine marinade reduced levels of heterocyclic amines by up to 88 per cent. Heterocyclic amines, formed during the frying or grilling of fish and meat, are reported to promote carcinogenesis in humans.

The researchers took eight beef samples and marinated eight in pilsner beer, eight marinated in red wine, and kept four as control samples. The beef was marinated for different amounts of time, ranging from one to six hours, followed by frying.

The data showed that all the meat samples marinated in red wine or beer contained lower levels of heterocyclic amines than the control. Indeed, carcinogenic compounds were reduced by as much as 88% after marinating for six hours.

Furthermore, the levels of 4,8-DiMeIQx, a compound with reported mutagenic properties, was reduced significantly when the beer marinade was used.

No significant difference was found in the odour, colour, and overall quality of steaks marinated in beer and the control, non-marinated steaks. However, the panelists scored the red wine-marinated beef lower.

"Results from descriptive sensory analysis of unmarinated and two hour marinated beef samples, tested for by two trained sensory panels, pointed to beer marinade as the most adequate for maintaining the usual overall appearance and quality of the pan-fried steaks," concluded the researchers. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Volume 56, Pages 10625-10632. "Effect of Beer/Red Wine Marinades on the Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Pan-Fried Beef" Authors: A. Melo, O. Viegas, C. Petisca, O. Pinho, I.M.P.L.V.O. Ferreira.