Food Safety Focus (88th Issue, November 2013) – Food Incident Highlight

Cooking Temperature and the Use of Halogen Oven

Halogen oven uses infrared radiation to heat and cook food and can be used for dry heat cooking. As it has become increasingly popular, some people has raised concerns about its food safety. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has issued a Risk in Brief and a message on the CFS Facebook page advising the public on its use.

Moist heat cooking (e.g. steaming and boiling) is a healthy cooking method. Dry heat cooking at high temperatures such as frying, baking, grilling and barbequing may produce harmful contaminants that increase with the cooking duration and temperature. Therefore, these process contaminants may be formed in a similar way, whether by using pan, electric grill, conventional oven or halogen oven, as a result of dry heat cooking at high temperatures.

Regardless of the cooking method used, the public is advised not to over-heat food while ensuring the food is cooked thoroughly. Consumers should avoid overindulgence in foods cooked at high temperatures in dry heat to reduce exposure to heat-generated contaminants.