Furan in food - a review

• Published in: Czech Journal of Food Sciences Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Vranova, J.,Vyskumny Ustav Potravinarsky, Bratislava (Slovak Republic), Ciesarova, Z.,Vyskumny Ustav Potravinarsky, Bratislava (Slovak Republic)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Czech; Slovak
• Published: Prague Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) 01.01.2009; Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences
• Subjects: ACIDE AMINE; ACIDE ASCORBIQUE; ACIDE GRAS POLYINSATURE; ACIDO ASCORBICO; ACIDOS GRASOS POLIINSATURADOS; ALIMENTOS; AMINO ACIDS; AMINOACIDOS; ASCORBIC ACID; BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS; CALENTAMIENTO; CARBOHIDRATOS; CARBOHYDRATES; Carcinogens; CHAUFFAGE; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CONTAMINACION; CONTAMINATION; DEGRADACION; DEGRADATION; Food; FOOD HYGIENE; FOOD SAFETY; FOODS; furan; FURANE; FURANOS; FURANS; GLUCIDE; headspace; heat processing contaminants; HEAT TREATMENT; HEATING; HIGIENE DE LOS ALIMENTOS; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_11828; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_12644; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_1300; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2159; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_24947; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_25191; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_28317; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_29254; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3019; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3032; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_32036; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_33995; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_342; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3524; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4769; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5472; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6195; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_661; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7826; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7827; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_909; HYGIENE DES ALIMENTS; INNOCUITE DES PRODUITS ALIMENTAIRES; INOCUIDAD ALIMENTARIA; IONIZING RADIATION; Irradiation; mechanisms of furan formation; METABOLISM; METABOLISME; METABOLISMO; MONOSACARIDOS; MONOSACCHARIDE; MONOSACCHARIDES; OXIDACION; OXIDATION; OXYDATION; POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS; PROCESAMIENTO; PROCESSING; PRODUIT ALIMENTAIRE; RADIACION IONIZANTE; Radiation; RADIATION IONISANTE; REACCIONES QUIMICAS; REACTION CHIMIQUE; solid-phase microextraction; Sugar; TOXICIDAD; TOXICITE; TOXICITY; TOXICOLOGIA; TOXICOLOGIE; TOXICOLOGY; TRAITEMENT; TRAITEMENT THERMIQUE; TRATAMIENTO TERMICO; VIA BIOQUIMICA DEL METABOLISMO; VOIE BIOCHIMIQUE DU METABOLISME
• ISSN: 1212-1800; 1805-9317
• DOI: 10.17221/2843-cjfs

Furan and its derivatives were identified in a small number of heat-treated foods back in the 60's and 70's. In May 2004, US Food and Drug Administration published a report on the occurrence of parent furan in a number of thermally treated foods. Since furan has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to human by IARC, a great concern has been addressed to the analysis of this substance naturally-occurring in food. This paper gives a short overview on the mechanistic pathways of the parent furan formation in food by degradation of amino acids and/or reducing sugars, and oxidation of ascorbic acid and polyunsaturated acids which can be induced by thermal or irradiation treatments; further, it deals with the metabolism and toxicology of furan as well as with the comparison of the methods of furan determination.