Food Standards and Quality Control

Food Standard and Quality Control

Lesson 18 : Food Toxicants - Contaminants

Semicarbazide

Furan is a heterocyclic compound and potential carcinogen that has been identified in a number of foodstuffs that undergo thermal treatment such as bottled, canned and jarred food products. Some amino acids and sugars break down into furans when thermally treated. Other food components such as Vitamin C and polyunsaturated fatty acids may also produce furans as an unwanted byproduct of food processing. Ionizing radiation is also known to induce the formation of furan in solutions of simple sugars and ascorbic acid with where sugar content is high and pH is low, for example canned fruits and vegetables.