Cherries Benefit Hamburgers

Based on a new study, cherry hamburgers may be healthier than regular hamburgers, according to a UPI report. Researchers at Michigan State University, East Lansing have found that adding cherries to hamburger meat retards spoilage and reduces the formation of suspected carcinogens heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs).

Previous research into the effect of combining cherry tissue with ground beef has shown the resulting product to be lower in fat, yet juicier and more tender than pure beef burgers. Sixteen states currently feature cherry burgers on school lunch menus.

"Cherry tissue will not only slow down the oxidative deterioration of meat lipids but will also substantially reduce the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines," says J. Ian Gray, professor of food science at Michigan State.