2018 - March 12 SPSFAM Meeting Book
Furan in foods
• Furan is present in a variety of cooked and/or heat processed foods, including canned and jarred foods (soups, sauces, gravies, pasta) as well as baby food in jars, baked bread, breakfast cereals and coffee. • First detected in the 1960s, furan is part of the human diet as it can be formed through traditional cooking methods.
Health concern Furan and methylated analogs • Rodent studies indicate that furan is a potent liver toxin and carcinogen, which is possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2B). • Genotoxicity cannot currently be excluded with certainty, and no safe level of exposure determined. • Similar concerns raised for some alkylated furans: 2‐ and 3‐methylfuran, 2,5‐dimethylfuran, and 2‐ pentylfuran. • According to EFSA (2017): furan and methylated analogues share similar liver toxicities with similar potencies and should be grouped together human health concern due to low MoE.
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