Consumer group warns against grilling cured meats over cancer and botulism risk

Beck stressed that the concern is not limited to nitrite-cured products. "Generell empfiehlt es sich auch für Grillgut ohne Nitritpökelsalz, dieses nicht zu stark zu erhitzen und möglichst mit indirekter Hitze zu grillen," she said, recommending gentler cooking temperatures and indirect heat for grilled food in general. The advice echoes long-standing food-safety guidance aimed at limiting the formation of harmful compounds during high-heat cooking.

Why curing salt is still used

The VKI also pointed to a separate microbial hazard. Cured and vacuum-packed meats can in rare cases harbour Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces potent neurotoxins and causes botulism, sometimes referred to in German as "Wurstvergiftung". The group noted that nitrite curing salt has a legitimate food-safety role because it inhibits the growth of certain undesirable microorganisms, but said that this protective effect does not extend to grilling at high temperatures, where nitrosamines can still form: "Bei hohen Temperaturen können Nitrosamine entstehen, die potenziell krebserregend sind," Beck said.

Aluminium foil and acidic ingredients

In a separate recommendation, Beck warned that grill food should not be prepared directly on aluminium foil when combined with salty or acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or lemon juice, because aluminium can leach into the food. "Zudem sollte Grillgut möglichst nicht direkt auf Alufolie mit salzigen oder säurehaltigen Zutaten wie Tomaten oder Zitronensaft zubereitet werden, da Aluminium in die Lebensmittel übergehen kann," she said. She suggested using grill trays or wrapping food in vegetable leaves such as cabbage instead.

Austria's Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit (KFV) published separate figures highlighting the broader safety toll of summer grilling. Around 700 people in Austria had to be treated in hospital after grilling accidents in 2024, the organisation said, underscoring the range of risks — from burns and flare-ups to long-term chemical exposure — that consumers face during barbecue season.

A wider European context

The VKI's advice is consistent with assessments by other European food-safety bodies. Both the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and Austria's Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) have, in past years, examined nitrosamine formation in cured and smoked meat products and have generally recommended keeping grilling temperatures moderate and avoiding direct contact of fatty foods with open flames. Beck's remarks track with that guidance while focusing on the practical question of what home grillers should do this summer.

The consumer group's broader message is one of precaution rather than alarm. Cured meats remain widely eaten and are subject to regulatory limits on nitrite use, and the VKI emphasised that occasional consumption is not the target of the warning. Rather, the organisation is calling for clearer information on labels, further data on nitrosamine exposure from grilled cured products, and informed consumer choice ahead of the peak grilling season.