Effects of traditional chinese cooking methods on formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in lamb patties

Different amounts of the potent mutagenic and/or carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are formed in muscle-based foods under different cooking methods. HAAs (9 varieties) in lamb patties cooked using traditional Chinese cooking methods (roasting, frying, panfrying, and stewing in seasonings) were investigated. The total HAAs contents in roasted, fried, pan-fried, and stewed patties were 4.39-123.15 ng/g, 3.59-43.24 ng/g, 0.71-10.05 ng/g, and 51.07-120.32 ng/g, respectively. Amounts of HAAs increased as cooking time increased. 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) was the dominant HAAs in deep roasted and fried samples, while 1-methyl- 9H-pyrido [3,4-b] indole (Harman) and 9H-pyrido [3,4-b] indole (Norharman) were the main HAAs in pan-fried and stewed samples. Types and contents of HAAs formed at different cooking times using different methods are unique. Stewing in seasoning generated a higher HAAs content than the high-temperature cooking methods roasting, frying, and pan-frying.     

3种熏烤鸡肉制品中杂环胺含量的检测与比较

目的 以3种熏烤鸡肉制品(鸡胗、鸡翅、鸡爪)为研究对象, 通过高效液相色谱测定其中5种杂环胺类物质(heterocyclic aromatic amines, HAAs), 即2-氨基-3-甲基咪唑并[4,5-f]喹啉(2-Amino-3- methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline, IQ)、2-氨基-1-甲基-6-苯基-咪唑并[4,5-b]吡啶(2-Amino-1-methyl- 6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine, PhIP)、9H-吡啶并[4,3-b]吲哚(9H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole, Norharman)、1-甲基-9H-吡啶并[4,3-b]吲哚(1-methyl-9H-pyrido[4,3-b]indol, Harman)、2-氨基-9H-吡啶并[2,3-b]吲哚(2-amine-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indol, AaC)的含量并进行比较。方法 采用二元流动相乙腈/醋酸-醋酸铵(pH=3.4)进行梯度洗脱, 其中乙腈/醋酸-醋酸铵随时间配比为: 0 min: 10%/90%; 10 min: 20%/80%; 25 min: 50%/50%; 35 min: 10%/90%。紫外检测波长263 nm; 荧光激发波长/发射波长随时间改变为0 min: 300/440 nm; 17 min: 315/390 nm; 21 min: 335/410 nm。结果 在3种鸡肉熏烤制品中提取的5种杂环胺类物质中, PhIP的含量最高, 且在鸡胗中最为显著, 高达152.38 ng/g, 工业化生产的鸡胗中PhIP含量仅为4.23 ng/g; 各产品中Harman的含量最低, 且在鸡爪产品及工业化生产的鸡翅产品中未检出; 熏烤的鸡肉制品中提取的IQ、PhIP、Norharman、Harman、AaC的含量均高于工业化产品。结论 工业化生产的鸡胗、鸡翅、鸡爪中的5种HAAs的含量均低于3家传统熏烤产品的含量, 传统熏烤条件下鸡肉制品的食用安全系数相对较低, 工业化产品的安全性相对较高。     

前体物含量对杂环胺形成的影响

将牛、猪、羊、鸡、鸭和鹅肉分别在200℃下煎烤10 min,分析其原料肉中前体物的含量与加工肉制品中杂环胺的形成量,以探讨不同动物原料肉中杂环胺的形成量及原料肉中前体物的含量对杂环胺形成的影响。结果表明,6种原料肉中前体物含量差异较大,肌酸与葡萄糖的摩尔浓度比在0.89～9.84之间。加工肉制品中共检测出10种杂环胺,其中9H-吡啶并[3,4-b]吲哚(Norharman)与1-甲基-9H-吡啶并[3,4-b]吲哚(Harman)在加工肉品中含量最高,分别在10.90～24.16 ng/g与4.64～14.04 ng/g之间。而2-氨基-3,8-二甲基咪唑并[4,5-f]喹喔啉(MeIQx)在牛肉中形成量较高,达3.55 ng/g,2-氨基-1-甲基-6-苯基-咪唑并[4,5-b]吡啶(PhIP)在禽肉中易于产生,其中鸡肉中含量最高,达15.26 ng/g。PhIP与肌酸和葡萄糖的摩尔浓度比存在相关性(P<0.05),随着葡萄糖浓度的增高,PhIP的形成量减少。     

Occurrence of heterocyclic amines in cooked meat products

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), potent mutagens and a risk factor for human cancers, are produced in meats cooked at high temperature. The aim of this study was to determine the HCA content in cooked meat products (beef, chicken, pork, fish) prepared by various cooking methods (pan frying, oven broiling, and oven baking at 170 to 230 °C) that are preferred by U.S. meat consumers. The primary HCAs in these samples were PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine) (1.49-10.89 ng/g), MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline) (not detected-4.0 ng/g), and DiMeIQx (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethyl-imidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline) (not detected-3.57 ng/g). Type and content of HCAs in cooked meat samples were highly dependent on cooking conditions. The total HCA content in well-done meat was 3.5 times higher than that of medium-rare meat. Fried pork (13.91 ng/g) had higher levels of total HCAs than fried beef (8.92 ng/g) and fried chicken (7.00 ng/g). Among the samples, fried bacon contained the highest total HCA content (17.59 ng/g).     

Heat and mass transfer in chicken breasts – effect on PhIP formation

Heterocyclic amines are mutagenic/carcinogenic compounds that are found in cooked meat and fish. These compounds are of concern in the aetiology of human cancer and therefore it is important to minimise their formation during cooking, and their intake. PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine, CAS no: 105650-23-5) is one heterocyclic amine that is found at high levels in cooked chicken. Chicken breast was cooked to a centre temperature of 72 °C using the following cooking methods: boiling, oven roasting, oven roasting in a special roasting-bag or in a clay pot, broiling, deep-frying and pan-frying. The temperature on the surface and at the centre was monitored by thermocouples during cooking, and these data, together with drip loss determined by means of weight reduction, were used to create temperature profiles and to calculate cook-values and rate of drip loss. The samples were analysed for PhIP using solid-phase extraction and HPLC. PhIP was detected in the broiled (0.07 ng/g), deep fried (0.02 ng/g) and pan-fried (0.04 30 ng/g) chicken breast. The cooking temperature and rate of drip loss had great impact on crust formation during pan-frying, and greatly affected the amount of PhIP formed. High temperature and high rate of drip loss were found to be most favourable for the formation of PhIP.     

熟化方式对酱卤风味牛肉品质及多环芳烃含量的影响

比较蒸制、煮制、炸制、煎制、烤制和微波6 种熟化方式对酱卤风味牛肉品质（感官评分、色泽、质构、水分含量、pH值、脂肪氧化）和化学危害物多环芳烃（polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs）含量的影响。结果表明：烤制、蒸制、煮制熟化酱卤风味牛肉色泽品质较好;烤制、煎制和炸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉水分含量偏低,且与其他组有显著差异（P＜0.05）;蒸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉很好地保持了水分含量,具有较好的质构特性;烤制、炸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉的脂肪氧化程度偏高（P＜0.05）,而蒸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉的脂肪氧化程度最低;与其他熟化方式相比,蒸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉的感官评分较高;烤制、煎制、炸制熟化酱卤风味牛肉中苯并(a)芘、苯并(a)蒽、苯并(b)荧蒽及?4 种PAHs的总含量均高于7.0 μg/kg,蒸制、微波熟化组约为3.1 μg/kg。综合评估得出,蒸制是一种有效的酱卤风味牛肉熟化加工方式,牛肉品质与传统卤煮牛肉更为接近。     

Potential sources of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines in Chinese mutton shashlik

Heterocyclic amines (HAs) are formed in muscle meat during its cooking under ordinary conditions. In this work, we measured the concentration of 15 kinds of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in mutton shashlik which is one of the most popular dishes in China and provided the basis for efforts to quantify dietary exposure to these compounds. Five mutton shashliks bought in market were determined and the concentrations of Harman, Norharman, DMIP, PhIP and AαC were 0.40–1.36, 0.07–0.50, 0.73–65.07, 0.90–25.62, and 0.39–2.13 ng/g, respectively. The mimic experiments have been carried out in an oven to investigate the influence of time, temperature, flavours, and area of heating surface on the formation of HAAs in ground mutton roasted. The levels of HAAs in cooked meat are highly dependent on the cooking time and temperature and increased with the area of heating surface. Meanwhile, flavours have a different impact because of their various characters.     

Effects of varying degrees of doneness on the formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in chicken and beef satay

The study was carried out to determine the effect of cooking method on Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines (HAs) concentration in grilled chicken and beef (satay). Six common HAs were investigated: 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinolone (IQ), 2amino 3,4dimethylimidazo [4,5f]quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8 trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-3,7,8trimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-DiMeIQx), and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). Chicken and beef satay samples were grilled to medium and well done level of doneness. Charcoal grilled (treatment A), microwave pre-treatment prior to grilling (treatment B), and microwave-deep fried (treatment C) were applied to beef and chicken satay samples. The satay samples which were microwaved prior to grilling (B) showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower HAs concentration as compared to those charcoal grilled (A). Both medium and well done cooked beef and chicken satay samples that were microwaved and deep fried (C) as an alternative method to grilling were proven to produce significantly lesser HAs as compared to charcoal-grilled (A) and microwaved prior to grilling (B).     

Effect of different cooking methods on lipid oxidation and formation of free cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in Latissimus dorsi muscle of Iberian pigs

The aim of this work was to study the influence of different cooking methods (grilled (GR), fried (FP), microwave (MW) and roasted (RO)) on lipid oxidation and formation of free cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) of meat from Iberian pigs that have been fed on an intensive system. Moisture and total lipid content, TBARs, hexanal and COPs were measured in Latissimus dorsi muscle samples. Cooking did not produce changes in total lipid content in meat but induced significantly higher lipid oxidation (TBARs and hexanal values) (p < 0.001) and cholesterol oxidation (COPs) (p < 0.01). When the different cooking methods were studied, the grilled method was the least affected by lipid oxidation (TBARs and hexanal) compared to the others. There were no significant differences among different cooking methods on COPs values. The most abundant cholesterol oxides were both 7α-hydroxycholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol in all groups studied.     

Effect of green tea extract and microwave pre-cooking on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in fried chicken meat products

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mutagenic compounds formed naturally in meats after thermal processing and are classified as a probable human carcinogen. Also, mutagenic potency of HAAs is about 100-fold stronger than that of aflatoxin and 2000-fold stronger than that of benzo[a]pyrene. The aims of the present study were to investigate HAA contents and to determine HAA existence in coated chicken drumsticks (CDs) and coated chicken wings (CWs) which are frequently consumed in fast food chains after purchasing from fast food restaurants, and the effects of green tea extract added into the cover material and microwave-precooking for the mitigation and the formation of HAAs in CD and CW samples produced using a laboratory model. HAA (IQx, IQ, MeIQx, MeIQ, 7,8-DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, PhIP, AαC, MeAαC) analysis was done by HPLC after solid-phase extraction. MeIQx is the dominant HAA in all CD and CW samples obtained from fast food restaurants, and its level was found to vary between 0.22–33.73 and 11.22–62.83 ng/g, respectively. PhIP was detected in 5 out of 20 samples from fast food restaurants with a maximum level of 3.15 ng/g, and IQx, 7,8-DiMeIQx, AαC, and MeIQ were also detected. MeIQx values of CW and CD samples produced with the laboratory model varied between not detected and 1.45 and not detected and 2.32 ng/g, respectively, while IQ, MeIQ, 7.8 DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, AαC, and MeAαC were not detected in any of the CW or CD samples produced using the laboratory model. HAA contents of CD and CW samples obtained from fast food restaurants were higher than those of samples produced using the laboratory model due to the possible effect of uncontrolled frying conditions in restaurants. In addition, it was determined that the addition of green tea extract (GTE) and microwave pre-cooking (MC) did not present any detectable effect on reducing the formation of HAAs in fried CDs and CWs produced using a laboratory model under controlled frying conditions.     

Inhibitory effect of marinades with hibiscus extract on formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines and sensory quality of fried beef patties

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) are carcinogenic compounds found in the crust of fried meat. The objective was to examine the possibility of inhibiting HAA formation in fried beef patties by using marinades with different concentrations of hibiscus extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa) (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 g/100 g). After frying, patties were analyzed for 15 different HAA by HPLC-analysis. Four HAA MeIQx (0.3–0.6 ng/g), PhIP (0.02–0.06 ng/g), co-mutagenic norharmane (0.4–0.7 ng/g), and harmane (0.8–1.1 ng/g) were found at low levels. The concentration of MeIQx was reduced by about 50% and 40% by applying marinades containing the highest amount of extract compared to sunflower oil and control marinade, respectively. The antioxidant capacity (TEAC-Assay/Folin–Ciocalteu-Assay) was determined as 0.9, 1.7, 2.6 and 3.5 μmol Trolox antioxidant equivalents and total phenolic compounds were 49, 97, 146 and 195 μg/g marinade. In sensory ranking tests, marinated and fried patties were not significantly different (p > 0.05) to control samples.     

Effects of cooking methods on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines of two different species trout

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are sometimes formed in meats and fish cooked at high temperatures. In the present study, the effects of cooking methods by deep-fat frying, pan-frying, grilling and barbecuing on the formation of HAAs of fillets of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) were investigated. Barbecued brown trout (1 g) was estimated to contain 0.12 ng of IQ (2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline), 0.02 ng 4,8-DiMeIQx (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline). Grilled rainbow trout (1 g) was estimated to contain 0.02 ng 4,8-DiMeIQx. MeIQ (2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline), MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline) and PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine) were not detectable in all cooked fish.     

Influence of selected quality factors of beef on the profile and the quantity of heterocyclic aromatic amines during processing at high temperature

New factors were identified impacting significantly on the formation of HAA during grilling. The number and profile of HAA in grilled beef depend on the fattening system (intensive and semi-intensive), and the effect of the animal’s sex. The fewest HAAs were formed in rib steak from heifers from a semi-intensive fattening system. A significant effect of storage of meat in refrigerated conditions (5 to 15 days) was also demonstrated on the formation of HAA during grilling. The longer the raw meat was stored, the more HAA was formed during grilling. The quantity of HAA was strongly correlated with the content of free amino acids and a very strong correlation was found with an increasing content of free purine and pyrimidine bases and their nucleosides.     

Response surface optimization of effects of some processing variables on carcinogenic/mutagenic heterocyclic aromatic amine (HAA) content in cooked patties

A five-factor Central Composite Orthogonal Design was adopted to study simultaneous effects of some processing variables such as NaCl (0-2%), fat (10-30%), ascorbic acid (0-600 ppm), cooking temperature (150-230°C) and cooking time (5-15 min) on physicochemical properties and heterocyclic aromatic amine (HAA) contents of cooked beef patties. The HAAs analyzed were 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine (PhIP), as quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with photo-diode array detection (HPLC-UV/DAD). It was found that ascorbic acid decreased; however, fat, cooking temperature and time levels increased the contents of IQ, MeIQx, MeIQ and PhIP. In addition, estimated ridge analysis was conducted to find values of the processing variables that maximize and minimize the five HAA contents, revealing that the results obtained would be useful for meat industry aiming to decrease HAA content in cooked meat products.     

The effects of colorifico on lipid oxidation,colour and vitamin E in raw and grilled chicken patties during frozen storage

Colorifico is a spice consisting essentially of a mixture of annatto (Bixa orellana) and corn flour. The effects of colorifico addition (0.4 g/100 g) to chicken meat on the development of lipid oxidation, colour stability, and degradation of bixin and vitamin E was investigated in raw and grilled patties during storage at −18 °C for 120 days. Colorifico was able to provide a more stable and intense red and yellow colour in both raw and grilled chicken patties when compared to the meat without spice. Lipid oxidation was delayed by colorifico in the grilled patties until 30 days of storage; however, no effect was observed in the raw patties. Vitamin E content was significantly higher in raw meat with colorifico and heat treatment resulted in relatively less loss when compared to the meat without spice; however, during storage both presented the same degradation pattern. Bixin content was stable during storage but not after grilling. The observed antioxidant mechanism suggests that vitamin E, probably the tocotrienols, is acting along with bixin to protect the unsaturated lipids from oxidation.     

大蒜硫化物对油炸鸡胸肉中MeIQx的抑制机制

为探究二烯丙基二硫（diallyl disulfide,DAD）和二丙基二硫（diphenyl disulfide,DPD）对油炸鸡胸肉中2-氨基-3,8-二甲基咪唑并[4,5-f]喹喔啉（2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline,MeIQx）形成的影响和抑制机制,本实验对添加DAD和DPD的无油和含油鸡胸肉及模拟体系中MeIQx、羰基价、MeIQx的中间体及前体变化进行分析。结果表明：油炸鸡胸肉中MeIQx含量较焙烤鸡胸肉中MeIQx含量显著提高（从10.9 ng/g增加至56.4 ng/g）,DAD和DPD对MeIQx的抑制率明显提高,从无抑制分别提高至57.4%（DAD）和67.1%（DPD）,并在模拟体系中得到验证。DAD和DPD的添加显著减缓体系中羰基价的上升速率和前体的消耗速率。添加DAD可降低甲醛的形成量,DPD则对3 种MeIQx中间体的形成均有显著的抑制作用（P＜0.05）。可推测大蒜硫化物可能是通过减少油脂氧化所产生的羰基,从而减弱其对MeIQx前体经Strecker降解产生中间体的催化作用,实现抑制MeIQx的形成。     

Formation of heterocyclic amines during cooking of duck meat

Heterocyclic amines (HAs) are an important class of food mutagens and carcinogens produced in meat cooked at high temperature. In the present study, the effects of various cooking methods: boiling, microwave cooking, charcoal-grilling, roasting, deep-frying and pan-frying on the formation of HAs in duck breast were studied. The various HAs formed during cooking were isolated by solid-phase extraction and analysed by HPLC. Results showed that both the varieties and contents of HAs and the cooking loss of duck breast increase along with increasing cooking temperature and time. Pan-fried duck breasts contained the highest amount of total HAs, followed by charcoal-grilling, deep-frying, roasting, microwave cooking and boiling. 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (norharman) and 1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (harman) were detected in all of the cooked duck meat, with levels in the range of 0.1–33?ng?g^?1. 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-f]pyridine (PhIP) was formed easily in duck meat cooked by pan-frying and charcoal-grilling in the range of 0.9–17.8?ng?g^?1. 2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) was identified in duck meat cooked by charcoal-grilling and pan-frying, in the range of 0.4–4.2?ng?g^?1. 2-Amino-3,8-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) was detected in amounts below 4.5?ng?g^?1 in duck meat cooked by charcoal-grilling, roasting, deep-frying and pan-frying. The other HAs were detected in amounts below 10?ng?g^?1. Colour development increased with cooking temperature, but no correlation with HAs’ content was observed.     

The effect of heat treatment on the cholesterol oxides,cholesterol, total lipid and fatty acid contents of processed meat products

The effects of heat treatment on the formation of cholesterol oxides and on alterations of fatty acid composition were investigated in processed meat products. Meatballs (beef), hamburger (beef and Chester), sausage (pork, chicken and Chester) and frankfurter (mixed meat, chicken and Chester) were analysed. There was no cholesterol oxide formation caused by heat treatment of the samples analysed. The fatty acid compositions, calculated as g/100 g sample, showed alterations only between the raw and grilled beef hamburger. Only the cholesterol levels were significantly changed when comparing the raw and grilled pork sausages and the raw and grilled Chester hamburger, the values being lower in the grilled samples. Also, the total lipid contents of grilled beef hamburgers were lower than the values.     

Heterocyclic aromatic amines in cooked hamburgers and chicken obtained from local fast food outlets in the Ottawa region

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are formed in protein-rich foods during high temperature cooking such as frying and grilling. Since most HAAs are potent mutagens and almost all are carcinogenic to laboratory animals, their formation in cooked foods is a health concern. In the present study, 31 cooked hamburgers and six chicken preparations were obtained from various fast food outlets in the Ottawa area and analyzed for HAAs. In the developed procedure, ground-up samples were extracted under both acidic and alkaline conditions, cleaned on SPE cartridges, and the concentrations of various HAAs determined using electrospray ionization LC/MS/MS. Deuterium-labelled internal standards of the three most commonly found HAAs (IQ, MeIQx, and PhIP) in such foods were used for quantitation and recovery correction. Varying levels of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) (0.2–6 μg/kg), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) (0.1–3.5 μg/kg), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) (0.3–6.9 μg/kg), and 7,8-dimethyl-IQx (2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline) (0.1–2.9 μg/kg) were detected in most hamburgers, whereas our limited data on the chicken samples (wings, drumsticks, and nuggets) indicated the presence of mainly PhIP (0.1–2.1 μg/kg) and MeIQx (0.1–1.8 μg/kg). Traces of 4,7,8-trimethyl-IQx (<0.1 μg/kg), 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (Trp-P-1) (<0.1–0.3 μg/kg), and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (Trp-P-2) (<0.1–0.8 μg/kg) were also detected in some samples of hamburgers but not in any of the chicken analyzed thus far. Since hamburger is a popular meal among Canadians, regular consumption of such items may contribute substantially to one's dietary intake of HAAs.     

The effects of various Chinese processing methods on the nutritional and safety properties of four kinds of meats

Chinese processed meat products are popular in the world, while different processing methods produce meats of different quality and safety. The aim of this work was to compare and evaluate the effects of seven Chinese processing methods (steaming, boiling, braising, pan-frying, frying, roasting and drying) on the nutritional and safety properties of four kinds of meats (beef, pork, chicken, duck). Comparing with the unprocessed raw meat, four kinds of meats treated with thermal processing displayed increased L^⁎ values, generally enhanced texture properties, decreased moisture contents, and increased protein contents. Among all the processing meats, the wet thermal processed meats exhibited relatively high total amino acid contents. Fatty acid contents showed the lowest value in boiled meats but relatively high values in fried, pan-fried and dried meats. For safety properties, thermal processing methods of pan-frying, frying and roasting caused mass formation of trans fatty acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The highest PAHs contents were detected as 49.70 μg/kg in pan-fried beef, 18.18 μg/kg in fried pork, 11.02 μg/kg in roasted chicken and 15.24 μg/kg in fried duck, which were 14.34 times, 4.74 times, 7.50 times and 8.35 times of their corresponding blank control groups. When nutritional and safety properties are pursued, steaming and boiling are recommended for all the four kinds of meats. Besides, braising is also suitable for pork, while drying could also be used for chicken and duck.