LAUSR

The influence of Asian spices on the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in charcoal grilled lamb patties was investigated using the QuEChERSmethod combined with UPLC‐MS/MS. The results showed that ginger, Chinese prickly ash, and cinnamon had strong inhibition in the formation of both nonpolar and polar HAAs (p < .05). The inhibition efficiency of spices for polar HAAs and nonpolar HAAs was in the range of 46%–98% and 31%–99%, respectively. All spices exhibited good scavenging activity for DPPH free radicals and the inhibition rate was in the range of 18%–92%. Specifically, the inhibition by cinnamon and Chinese prickly ash was 86.23% to 89.40% and 89.96% to 91.66%, respectively. The antioxidant activity of all spices had a significant negative correlation with HAA content (r = −.745 to r = −.986). It can be concluded that Asian spices have the potential to inhibit both polar and nonpolar HAAs in grilled lamb meat due to their powerful antioxidant activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Processed meat and meat products undergo rapid oxidation, thereby generating some oxidative products, such as HAAs. Native Asian spices have significant antioxidant activity, which further reveals their potential as inhibiting agents for heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) when applied in grilled lamb patties. Therefore, spices can be used as a natural source to inhibit HAAs in grilled or other cooked meat products.