 Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma and flavor from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction.The Maillard reaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of .Studies have shown that cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at high temperatures can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines, benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens.