The Main Problem

Furan is naturally occurring at low levels in many foods and drinks. Furan consumption is of concern because it has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as possibly carcinogenic to mankind, based on studies with laboratory animals. Furan at a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight (bw) and 4 mg/kg bw has been shown to cause bile duct cancer in rats and liver cancer in mice.

The U.S. FDA has recently published a report on the occurrence of furan in a large number of thermally processed foods, especially canned and jarred foods, including baby foods and infant formulas.  Of all the foods tested in various papers, coffee contained the largest amount of furan. It is highly volatile and hence its amount can be known easily by analytic chemistry.


The primary source of furan in food is considered to be thermal degradation of carbohydrates, such as glucose, lactose and fructose.

How it forms in coffee?


Furan, like acrylamide, is one of a group of carcinogenic substances that can form when foods and drinks are subject to heat treatment. They are the result of a reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, between carbohydrates, unsaturated fatty acids and ascorbic acids or its derivatives.

Level of tolerance?

For a woman (54.5 kg) and a man (72.7 kg), 109 and 145.4 mg, respectively, can be considered as a safe upper limit.


References

• Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Furan in Food. 2013. Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Furan in Food. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/foodcontaminantsadulteration/chemicalcontaminants/furan/ucm078451.htm. [Accessed 24 January 2013].
• Exploratory Data on Furan in Food: Individual Food Products. 2013. Exploratory Data on Furan in Food: Individual Food Products. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/ChemicalContaminants/Furan/ucm078439.htm. [Accessed 24 January 2013].
• Coffee made from capsules contains furan, a carcinogenic substance | Spain Review. 2013. Coffee made from capsules contains furan, a carcinogenic substance | Spain Review. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.spainreview.net/index.php/2011/04/14/coffee-made-from-capsules-contains-furan-a-carcinogenic-substance/. [Accessed 24 January 2013].
• Determination of Furan in Food by Gas ChromatographyMass Spectrometry and Headspace Sampling. 2013. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.perkinelmer.com/CMSResources/Images/44-74134APP_FuraninFoodbyGCMS.pdf. [Accessed 24 January 2013].