Cooking with gas produces more carcinogens than electricity

COOKING with gas stoves may increase the risk of cancer from noxious fumes, Norwegian scientists say.

Researchers from Trondheim found exposure to carcinogenic fumes was greater when pan-frying steak on a gas hob compared to an electric hob.

They fried 17 400 g steaks for 15 minutes in “conditions similar to those in a Western European restaurant kitchen”. Regardless of the type of cooking fat, gas hobs yielded higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes and other particles in the breathing zone of the cook.

“This is presumed to be due to the higher temperature of the gas flame resulting in more thermal degradation products,” the authors said. “Cooking fumes consist of a mixture of toxic and mutagenic compounds…[so exposure] should be reduced as much as possible.”

Occup Environ Med, online