In mid-June, the barbecue season has already begun, but many enthusiasts sometimes struggle to get the flames going. Hence the use of fire lighters, the dangerousness of which raises questions.
As summer approaches, barbecue enthusiasts are getting ready, while some die-hards have already started the dance. If this friendly way of cooking is almost a perfectly mastered art of living for some, others often struggle to get it going. And use products to start the first flames, including fire starters. Whether solid, liquid or gel, these products act as allies for grilling without too much effort. But the question of the toxicity of these products arises. Are these products the same? Response items.
A hydrocarbon-based composition
They are everywhere, available for sale very easily, cheap, generally between 3 and 10 euros, whether in gel, solid or liquid. Fire lighters are not new and their health risks have been reported for years.
“The toxicity of these products is not recent, it is a well-known phenomenon. It is associated with the presence of hydrocarbons, substances that are used more to burn than to ignite,” explains Alexis to RMC Conso Descatha, professor of toxicology. at Angers University Hospital.
In 2009, a report by the now-defunct Consumer Safety Commission highlighted that lighters available on the French market often consist of 70 to 85% kerosene, a hydrocarbon derived from the distillation of oil, mainly used as a fuel in aviation.
The DGCCRF (Fraud Repression), attached to the same ministry as this previous commission, indicated to RMC Conso that the data published in this report remained current.
Children are most at risk
Is consuming food prepared using hydrocarbon combustion harmful to your health? For the toxicology professor, the question is broader. According to the latter, decomposition of certain animal products by heat and consumption of certain fats are equally carcinogenic. Rather, the danger of lighters lies in their unintended ingestion by a particular public: children. Especially in their liquid form.
“The risks observed in French poison control centers lie in the accidental inhalation of these products, which cause lung infections and require hospitalization, are the most frequent ingestions, especially by children,” summarizes the latter.
In this case, ingestion may be indicated by digestive disturbances (belching, abdominal pain or even irritating diarrhea).
For the professor, the use of solid lighters remains preferable to using liquid or gel versions, thanks to their less accident-prone nature. But zero risk does not exist. Still, according to the Consumer Safety Commission’s report, five accidents related to the use of fixed lighters were reported over a two-year period.
Between 2004 and 2006, the Danish Health Authority noted three cases of accidental sucking or ingestion of lighters by children aged 15, 16 and 24 months and two cases of hand burns with hot paraffin, another hydrocarbon used in the composition of solid lighters.
Thus, six families of risks associated with the use of these products arise: asphyxia by obstruction of the digestive tract, damage to the digestive tract, digestive poisoning, respiratory poisoning, burns or fire, and finally skin or ophthalmic irritation.
Do without or else
Lighting your grill with help is not mandatory, but for those who absolutely want a helping hand, it is possible to call on Mother Nature. For example, dry pine cones are excellent fuels. In urban areas, barbecue enthusiasts can use wooden boxes, which are often free in supermarkets.
