Risk assessment of furan in commercially jarred baby foods, including insights into its occurrence and formation in freshly home-cooked foods for infants and young children

Abstract

Furan is a possible human carcinogen (IARC group 2B) with widespread occurrence in many types of foods. In this study, a survey of furan contamination in 230 commercially jarred ready-to-eat infant food products was conducted using headspace sampling in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) with a detection limit of 0.2 µg kg⁻¹. The incidence of furan contamination in jarred infant beverages, cereals and fruits was relatively low, with average concentrations below 10 µg kg⁻¹. Significantly higher concentrations were found in pasta (34.8 ± 14.5 µg kg⁻¹), meals containing meat (28.2 ± 15.0 µg kg⁻¹), and meals containing vegetables (31.2 ± 17.3 µg kg⁻¹). The average exposure of 6-month-old infants to furan was estimated to be 0.2 µg per kg bodyweight per day. The margin of exposure calculated using the T25 dose descriptor would be 2692, which points to a possible public health risk. In contrast to commercially jarred food products, none of 20 freshly home-prepared baby foods contained furan above the limit of detection. Only after re-heating in closed vessels was furan found to have formed. Furan was especially prevalent in reheated foods containing potatoes, with values ranging between 2.3 and 29.2 µg kg⁻¹. The formation of furan in potato-containing baby foods was increased by addition of ascorbic acid, by longer heating times above 1 h and by temperatures above 50°C. Research regarding reduction of furan in commercial baby foods should be conducted, with a priority aimed at reducing this heat-induced contaminant without concomitantly increasing the microbiological risk.

Keywords:

• furan
• carcinogens
• gas chromatography
• mass spectrometry
• food contamination
• food analysis
• baby food
• infant food
• risk assessment

Acknowledgement

H. Mann is thanked for excellent technical assistance.