Precursors, Formation and Determination of Furan in Food

Abstract

Key words: Sugars, amino acids, ascorbic acid, 4-hydroxy-2-butenal, lipid oxidation, PUFA, mechanisms of formation and analysis of furan, SMPE-GC/MS, headspace-GC/MS. Abstract:The origins and mechanisms of formation of the recently identifi ed and possible food carcinogen furan are reviewed including analytical methods used for its determination in food products. Literature data indicate a multiple source of furan formation originating from (i) thermal degradation/Maillard reaction of reducing sugars alone or in the presence of amino acids, (ii) thermal degradation of certain amino acids, and thermal oxidation of (iii) ascorbic acid, (iv) poly-unsaturated fatty acids and (v) carotenoids. Two approaches were suggested for the analysis of furan in food samples, one is based on simple headspace-GC/ MS and other is based on solid phase micro-extraction-GC/MS. Both techniques can detect furan in ppb levels and are adequate for monitoring low levels of furan formed in food.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-Furfural (HMF) – Heat-Induced Formation, Occurrence in Food and Biotransformation - a Review

“…On the other hand, one of the most important disaccharides -sucrose, may be easily hydrolysed into (1a) and (1b) [Mathlouthi & Reiser, 1994]. As it is known the dehydratation of (1a) is more effective and faster than in case of (1b) [Locas & Yaylayan, 2004;Yaylayan, 2006;Zhao et al, 2007]. Glucose as an aldohexose may be involved in competing reaction pathways leading to nonfuran cyclic ethers by-products formation.…”

Furan content in Spanish baby foods and its relation with potential precursors

“…As mentioned above, furan can be generated from thermal degradation of carbohydrates in the presence or otherwise of amino acids (no enzymatic browning or Maillard reaction) (Yaylayan, 2006). However, in our study, in disagreement with this, furan was negatively correlated with carbohydrate content (r ¼ 70.6402, p ¼ 0.0024), and moreover with hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) concentrations in the baby foods analyzed (r ¼ 70.4756, p ¼ 0.0188).…”

“…It can be generated from the thermal degradation of carbohydrates in the presence or absence of amino acids, from the thermal degradation of certain amino acids and from the thermal oxidation of ascorbic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, or carotenoids (Yaylayan, 2006).…”

Dynamics of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural formation in shortbreads during thermal processing

“…Either of them may be used as a primary substrate or obtained in the process of disaccharide (sucrose) acidic hydrolysis, which leads to fructose/glucose equimolar mixture. It is known that the dehydration of fructose is more effective and faster than that of glucose (Perez Locas & Yaylayan 2004;Yaylayan 2006;Zhao et al 2007). Glucose as an aldohexose may be involved in competing reaction pathways leading to nonfuran cyclic ethers by-products formation or may be isomerised into fructose according to Lobry de Bruyn-Alberda van Ekenstein transformation (Miljkovic 2009).…”