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Oh J, Lee Y, Lee KG. Analytical methods, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies for furan in processed foods in various countries. Food Sci Biotechnol 2024; 33:2427-2440. [PMID: 39144195 PMCID: PMC11319557 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-024-01578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
This article provides an overview of analytical methods for measuring furan levels in food. Given the potential carcinogenicity of furans in humans, several studies have focused on assessing furan levels in various food products. In this review, we specifically examine furan levels in foods that are central to regional culinary traditions and summarize the results of country-specific risk assessments. Consequently, we have identified foods that contribute significantly to dietary furan exposure in each region. Coffee and baby foods, regardless of region, emerged as the primary sources of furan intake among adults and infants, respectively. Several previous studies have been conducted to develop various mitigation strategies aimed at reducing exposure to furan through food intake. Therefore, in this paper, we categorize effective mitigation strategies into two main groups: alterations to processing conditions and the addition or removal of food additives and ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongeun Oh
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, 10326 Gyeonggi-do Republic of Korea
| | - Yoojeong Lee
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, 10326 Gyeonggi-do Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Geun Lee
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, 10326 Gyeonggi-do Republic of Korea
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Alsafra Z, Scholl G, De Meulenaer B, Eppe G, Saegerman C. Hazard Ratio and Hazard Index as Preliminary Estimators Associated to the Presence of Furans and Alkylfurans in Belgian Foodstuffs. Foods 2022; 11:foods11162453. [PMID: 36010452 PMCID: PMC9407134 DOI: 10.3390/foods11162453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper provides an estimation of the hazard related to the presence of furan and five alkyl furans (2- and 3-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2,5- and 2,3-dimethylfuran) in foodstuffs available in the Belgian market. To achieve this objective, a specific sampling plan was designed to ensure that the samples collected (n = 1003) represent the diversity of the Belgian food chain. Herein, the concepts of the Hazard Ratio of a sample (HRs) and the Hazard Index of a sample (HIs) were introduced to primarily characterize the hazard related to the co-occurrence of these compounds. The HRs was measured as the ratio of the potential daily exposure to a substance (expressed in mg/Kg of food) to both the 10% reference dose level for chronic effects (expressed in mg/(kg b.w*day)) and the human standard weight (expressed in kg). Whereas the HIs is the sum of the HRs of compounds that affect the same target organ/system, a hazard index greater than one indicates a highly contaminated matrix that could induce a hazard. It is an alarm indicating that additional attention should be given to this matrix. This may involve additional analyses to confirm the high level, to identify sources, etc. It is also an alarm for the risk assessor to be very careful with flagged matrices and to avoid combination with other matrices. The HIs highlight a relatively low concern for all foods analyzed (HI median < 1.0) with a relatively higher suspected hazard for coffee drinks (HI median = 0.068, HI max = 0.57). This preliminary estimation of the potential hazard suggests that coffee beverages should be examined in more detail in a full risk assessment and that coffee consumption should be taken with caution given the levels of furan and alkylfurans reported in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zouheir Alsafra
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 3, B-6c Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Georges Scholl
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 3, B-6c Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Bruno De Meulenaer
- Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Nutrifoodchem Unit, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gauthier Eppe
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MolSys Research Unit, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 3, B-6c Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
- Correspondence: (G.E.); (C.S.)
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal Health (FARAH) Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Quartier Vallée 2, Avenue de Cureghem 7A, B-42, Sart-Tilman, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
- Correspondence: (G.E.); (C.S.)
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Javed F, Shahbaz HM, Nawaz A, Olaimat AN, Stratakos AC, Wahyono A, Munir S, Mueen-Ud-Din G, Ali Z, Park J. Formation of furan in baby food products: Identification and technical challenges. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2021; 20:2699-2715. [PMID: 33719191 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Furan is generally produced during thermal processing of various foods including baked, fried, and roasted food items such as cereal products, coffee, canned, and jarred prepared foods as well as in baby foods. Furan is a toxic and carcinogenic compound to humans and may be a vital hazard to infants and babies. Furan could be formed in foods through thermal degradation of carbohydrates, dissociation of amino acids, and oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The detection of furan in food products is difficult due to its high volatility and low molecular weight. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) is generally used for analysis of furan in food samples. The risk assessment of furan can be characterized using margin of exposure approach (MOE). Conventional strategies including cooking in open vessels, reheating of commercially processed foods with stirring, and physical removal using vacuum treatment have remained unsuccessful for the removal of furan due to the complex production mechanisms and possible precursors of furan. The innovative food-processing technologies such as high-pressure processing (HPP), high-pressure thermal sterilization (HPTS), and Ohmic heating have been adapted for the reduction of furan levels in baby foods. But in recent years, only HPP has gained interest due to successful reduction of furan because of its nonthermal mechanism. HPP-treated baby food products are commercially available from different food companies. This review summarizes the mechanism involved in the formation of furan in foods, its toxicity, and identification in infant foods and presents a solution for limiting its formation, occurrence, and retention using novel strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Javed
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Shahbaz
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asad Nawaz
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Amin N Olaimat
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Alexandros Ch Stratakos
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Agung Wahyono
- Department of Food Engineering Technology, State Polytechnic of Jember, Jember, Indonesia
| | - Sadia Munir
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ghulam Mueen-Ud-Din
- Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Zeshan Ali
- Department of Food Engineering and Nutritional Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China
| | - Jiyong Park
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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Mayerhofer U, Czerwenka C, Marchart K, Steinwider J, Hofstaedter D. Dietary exposure to furan of the Austrian population. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2019; 36:1637-1646. [PMID: 31584863 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2019.1671991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the period from 2007 to 2017 furan levels of foods were analysed by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety. Based on these analytical data and the Austrian consumption data the dietary exposure of children and adults to furan was estimated by using a deterministic approach. For the adult population the mean and 95th percentile dietary exposures to furan were estimated at 0.31 µg/kg bodyweight per day and at 0.72 µg/kg bodyweight per day, respectively. The mean dietary exposure of children was estimated at 0.18 µg/kg bodyweight per day and is thus only about half as high as for Austrian adults. At the 95th percentile the dietary exposure of children was estimated at 0.49 µg/kg bodyweight per day. The main contributor to the total dietary exposure for adults is coffee followed by convenience products and for children the main contributors are grain products as well as convenience products, bread and snacks. Based on the BMDL10 of 0.064 mg/kg bodyweight per day for the development of cholangiofibrosis, the MOE-calculation revealed that the current levels of dietary exposure to furan are of concern for Austrian adult high consumers. The MOE-calculation, based on the BMDL10 of 1.31 mg/kg bodyweight per day for the development of hepatocellular adenomas, indicated a health concern for Austrian children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Mayerhofer
- Department of Risk Assessment, Division of Integrative Risk Assessment, Data & Statistics, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Czerwenka
- Division Food Safety, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristina Marchart
- Department of Risk Assessment, Division of Integrative Risk Assessment, Data & Statistics, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann Steinwider
- Department of Risk Assessment, Division of Integrative Risk Assessment, Data & Statistics, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Hofstaedter
- Department of Risk Assessment, Division of Integrative Risk Assessment, Data & Statistics, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
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Seok YJ, Lee KG. Analysis of furan in semi-solid and paste type foods. Food Sci Biotechnol 2019; 29:293-301. [PMID: 32064138 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-019-00654-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
An analytical method for furan in semi-solid and paste-type food products that have been widely used consumed in Korea was presented using headspace solid-phase microextraction by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total 131 food samples were analyzed and categorized into 11 groups. The validation parameters such as linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), precision (RSD) and accuracy were verified. The linearity with regression coefficients was obtained from 0.9962 to 0.9996 and the values of LOD and LOQ were 0.18 ng/g and 0.54 ng/g, respectively. The recoveries were obtained from 88.03 to 105.06%. The analysis of furan in such matrix was qualified and quantified by using the developed validation method. Dry cereals, pickled cucumbers, and oyster sauces contained high furan contents with average values 8.60, 6.45, and 4.40 ng/g, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Jeong Seok
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326 Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Geun Lee
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326 Republic of Korea
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Williams JR, Rayburn JR, Cline GR, Sauterer R, Friedman M. Potential protective effect of L-cysteine against the toxicity of acrylamide and furan in exposed Xenopus laevis embryos: an interaction study. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2014; 62:7927-7938. [PMID: 25055136 DOI: 10.1021/jf5013743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The embryo toxicities of two food-processing-induced toxic compounds, acrylamide and furan, with and without added L-cysteine were examined individually and in mixtures using the frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX). The following measures of developmental toxicity were used: (a) 96 h LC50, the median concentration causing 50% embryo lethality; (b) 96 h EC50, the median concentration causing 50% malformations of the surviving embryos; and (c) teratogenic index (96 h LC50/96 h EC50), an estimate of teratogenic risk. Calculations of toxic units (TU) were used to assess possible antagonism, synergism, or response addition of several mixtures. The evaluated compounds demonstrated counterintuitive effects. Furan had lower than expected toxicity in Xenopus embryos and, unlike acrylamide, does not seem to be teratogenic. However, the short duration of the tests may not show the full effects of furan if it is truly primarily genotoxic and carcinogenic. L-Cysteine showed unexpected properties in the delay of hatching of the embryos. The results from the interaction studies between combination of two or three components (acrylamide plus L-cysteine; furan plus L-cysteine; acrylamide plus furan; acrylamide plus furan and L-cysteine) show that furan and acrylamide seem to have less than response addition at 1:1 toxic unit ratio in lethality. Acrylamide and L-cysteine show severe antagonism even at low 19 acrylamide/1 L-cysteine TU ratios. Data from the mixture of acrylamide, furan, and L-cysteine show a slight antagonism, less than would have been expected from binary mixture exposures. Bioalkylation mechanisms and their prevention are discussed. There is a need to study the toxicological properties of mixtures of acrylamide and furan concurrently formed in heat-processed food.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Russell Williams
- Biology Department, Jacksonville State University , Jacksonville, Alabama 36265, United States
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Sijia W, Enting W, Yuan Y. Detection of furan levels in select Chinese foods by solid phase microextraction–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method and dietary exposure estimation of furan in the Chinese population. Food Chem Toxicol 2014; 64:34-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Scholl G, Humblet MF, Scippo ML, De Pauw E, Eppe G, Saegerman C. Preliminary assessment of the risk linked to furan ingestion by babies consuming only ready-to-eat food. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2013; 30:654-9. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2013.769137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Mariotti MS, Granby K, Rozowski J, Pedreschi F. Furan: a critical heat induced dietary contaminant. Food Funct 2013; 4:1001-15. [DOI: 10.1039/c3fo30375f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Arisseto A, Vicente E, Furlani R, Ueno M, Pereira A, Toledo M. Occurrence of furan in commercial processed foods in Brazil. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2012; 29:1832-9. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2012.713030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Scholl G, Huybrechts I, Humblet MF, Scippo ML, De Pauw E, Eppe G, Saegerman C. Risk assessment for furan contamination through the food chain in Belgian children. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2012; 29:1219-29. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2012.686456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Moro S, Chipman JK, Wegener JW, Hamberger C, Dekant W, Mally A. Furan in heat-treated foods: formation, exposure, toxicity, and aspects of risk assessment. Mol Nutr Food Res 2012; 56:1197-211. [PMID: 22641279 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Furan is formed in a variety of heat-treated foods through thermal degradation of natural food constituents. Relatively high levels of furan contamination are found in ground roasted coffee, instant coffee, and processed baby foods. European exposure estimates suggest that mean dietary exposure to furan may be as high as 1.23 and 1.01 μg/kg bw/day for adults and 3- to 12-month-old infants, respectively. Furan is a potent hepatotoxin and hepatocarcinogen in rodents, causing hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in rats and mice, and high incidences of cholangiocarcinomas in rats at doses ≥ 2 mg/kg bw. There is therefore a relatively low margin of exposure between estimated human exposure and doses that cause a high tumor incidence in rodents. Since a genotoxic mode of action cannot be excluded for furan-induced tumor formation, the present exposures may indicate a risk to human health and need for mitigation. This review summarizes the current knowledge on mechanisms of furan formation in food, human dietary exposure to furan, and furan toxicity, and highlights the need to establish the risk resulting from the genotoxic and carcinogenic properties of furan at doses lower than 2 mg/kg bw.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Moro
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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