C03043: Heat-generated food toxicants: identification, characterisation and risk minimisation (EC 6th Framework Programme)
Wednesday 11 May 2005
This research project will investigate whether furan is produced in domestically prepared food and in food as consumed. It will also study furan formation in food.
Background
Furan is a chemical compound, which has been classified as 'possibly carcinogenic in humans' by the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and has recently been detected in a range of foods. The presence of furan in food may pose a risk to humans and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently published a report on furan, which considers additional data is required for a more detailed risk assessment. The results of the project will inform the risk assessment by EFSA and consideration of risk management measures.
Additionally, as part of the HEATOX programme the project will develop a priority list of hazardous toxic process contaminants potentially found in foods so that future research can prioritise what compounds need to be studied. This list would be based on Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) molecular modelling .
Research Approach
Furan appears to be created when food is heat-treated and/or packaged in jars or cans. Why furan is found in food is not yet fully understood. The project will assist in addressing the following questions:
- Is furan produced upon heating food from raw materials?
- Is furan found in foods as consumed and if so, at what levels?
- What are the mechanisms of furan formation?
Additional Information
This project is part of a European Union (EU) Framework Programme called 'Heatox', www.heatox.org It is co-ordinated and part funded by the European Union and is a collective effort to investigate heat-generated contaminants in food.
The main objectives of Heatox are to:
- To assess health risks that may be associated with hazardous compounds in heat-treated food, and
- To find methods of minimising the formation of these compounds.
The objectives of the project were:
- To characterise and improve the analytical method used for furan determination
- To investigate and determine the factors affecting the formation of furan in heated foods
- To use Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships - (Q)SAR - molecular modelling to produce and rank a priority list of compounds formed in heat-processed foods on the basis of their toxic effects and to produce a searchable database of these compounds.