Hot Beverage Risk

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The World Health Organization has added hot beverages of over 65 degrees Celsius to the list of cancer-causing substances. The news has drawn attention in Korea, where hot soups are very popular.

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This coffee was just purchased at a coffee shop. It measures 67 degrees Celsius on the surface. The inner temperature at the center of the cup rises to 72 degrees. That's hot enough to burn one's mouth or damage the esophagus. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has analyzed the risk of esophageal cancer by temperature on some 48,000 people. Those who drank hot beverages of over 65 degrees were found to be up to eight times more likely to develop esophageal cancer. The news is especially alarming for Koreans, who like to have their soups served piping hot. A stew made of fermented beans known as "doenjang" that was just cooked at a restaurant was found to be 77 degrees Celsius at the surface. The chicken and ginseng soup "samgyetang" measured 82 degrees Celsius, even hotter than coffee. But the temperature was only half as high after the broth was scooped up and cooled by blowing on it. The temperature is much lower than the 65-degree threshold set by the WHO.

[Soundbite] Oh Jin-kyung(National Cancer Center) : "Avoid using straws when drinking hot beverages. When eating soup, scoop it up with a spoon and blow on it."

Experts recommend splitting hot, steaming food into smaller portions using extra dishes or cooling it sufficiently before consumption.