Don’t singe meat with car tyres, it’s harmful

In last week’s edition of The Spec­tator, we published a story head­lined “Meat singed with car tires dangerous” which was attributed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Meats that have been heated to eliminate hair, shrink the skin, and give it a clean appearance are known as singed meats.

According to the report, eating meat that has been singed, espe­cially from burning tyres, can be dangerous because it may contain heavy metals that can build up in the body and damage organs like the kidneys.

A collaborative investigation conducted by Kwame Nkrumah Uni­versity of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, and the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, led to this discovery.

It was discovered that meats smoked with car tyres contained dangerous amounts of chemicals that cause cancer. This should be a health issue for everyone, particu­larly in places where inappropriate smoking is prevalent.

Additionally, the study found that meats smoked with car tyres in Ghana have high concentrations of dangerous compounds that raise the risk of cancer.

Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the harm­ful effects of these compounds, according to the researchers who examined meats smoked using fuel sources such as firewood, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and car tyres.

This is due to the fact that burning tyres generates heavy metals that can taint meat and, if consumed, can lead to neurological issues, developmental problems in children, and renal damage – all of which are currently major health concerns in Ghana – among other serious health effects.

They consequently called for stronger regulations to stop the use of car tyres for singeing and sug­gested that safer alternatives, such as LPG, be used for singeing meat, particularly in abattoirs.

They also emphasised the urgent need to investigate and promote alternative singeing techniques. However, according to the experts, LPG can be suggested as a safer substitute for conventional fuels like firewood and car tyres.

The Spectator agrees with the researchers’ recommendations that, in order to safeguard the public’s health and guarantee that custom­ers are not exposed to dangerous compounds, authorities should implement stronger rules govern­ing the use of car tyres for meat singeing and impose severe fines for noncompliance.