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 microg kg(-1). The incidence of furan contamination in jarred infant beverages, cereals and fruits was relatively low, with average concentrations below 10 microg kg(-1). Significantly higher concentrations were found in pasta (34.8 +/- 14.5 microg kg(-1)), meals containing meat (28.2 +/- 15.0 microg kg(-1)), and meals containing vegetables (31.2 +/- 17.3 microg kg(-1)). The average exposure of 6-month-old infants to furan was estimated to be 0.2 microg 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 microg 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 degrees 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.

1H Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (400 MHz) was used in the context of food surveillance to develop a reliable analytical tool to differentiate brands of cola beverages and to quantify selected constituents of the soft drinks. The preparation of the samples required only degassing and addition of 0.1% of TSP in D2O for locking and referencing followed by adjustment of pH to 4.5. The NMR spectra obtained can be considered as “fingerprints” and were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). Clusters from colas of the same brand were observed, and significant differences between premium and discount brands were found. The quantification of caffeine, acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, benzoate, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sulfite ammonia caramel (E 150D), and vanillin was simultaneously possible using external calibration curves and applying TSP as internal standard. Limits of detection for caffeine, aspartame, acesulfame-K, and benzoate were 1.7, 3.5, 0.8, and 1.0 mg/L, respectively. Hence, NMR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics is an efficient tool for simultaneous identification of soft drinks and quantification of selected constituents.

A survey of benzene contamination of 451 beverage samples, using headspace sampling combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) with a quantification limit of 0.13 microg l(-1), was conducted. Artefactual benzene formation during headspace sampling was excluded by gentle heating at 50 degrees C only and adjustment of sample pH to 10. The incidence of benzene contamination in soft drinks, beverages for babies, alcopops and beer-mixed drinks was relatively low, with average concentrations below the EU drinking-water limit of 1 microg l(-1). Significantly higher concentrations were only found in carrot juice, with the highest levels in carrot juice specifically intended for infants. About 94% of 33 carrot juice for infants had detectable benzene levels, with an average concentration of 1.86 +/- 1.05 microg l(-1). Benzene contamination of beverages was significantly correlated to iron and copper concentrations, which act as catalyst in benzene formation. The formation of benzene in carrot juice was predominantly caused by a heat-induced mechanism, which explains the higher levels in infant carrot juices that are subject to higher heat-treatment to exclude microbiological contamination.

So-called energy drinks with very high amounts of taurine (up to 4000 mg/l are usually granted by certificates of exemption) are increasingly offered on the market. To control the currently valid maximum limits of taurine in energy drinks, a simple and rapid analytical method is required to use it routinely in food monitoring. In this article, we describe a fast and efficient analytical method (FTIR-spectroscopy) that is able to reliably characterize and quantify taurine in energy drinks. The determination of taurine in energy drinks by FTIR was compared with amino acid analyzer (ion chromatography with ninhydrin-postcolumn derivatization). During analysis of 80 energy drinks, a median concentration of 3180 mg/l was found in alcohol-free products, 314 mg/l in energy drinks with spirits, 151 mg/l in beer-containing drinks and 305 mg/l in beverages with wine. Risk analysis of these products is difficult due to the lack of valid toxicological information about taurine and its interferences with other ingredients of energy drinks (for example caffeine and alcohol). So far, the high taurine concentrations of energy drinks in comparison to the rest of the diet are scientifically doubtful, as the advertised physiological effects and the value of supplemented taurine are unproven.

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