A comprehensive review of furan in foods: From dietary exposures and in vivo metabolism to mitigation measures

Furan is a thermal food processing contaminant that is ubiquitous in various food products such as coffee, canned and jarred foods, and cereals. A comprehensive summary of research progress on furan is presented in this review, including discussion of (i) formation pathways, (ii) occurrence and dietary exposures, (iii) analytical techniques, (iv) toxicities, (v) metabolism and metabolites, (vi) risk assessment, (vii) potential biomarkers, and (viii) mitigation measures. Dietary exposure to furan varies among different countries and age groups. Furan acts through various toxicological pathways mediated by its primary metabolite, cis-2-butene-1,4-dial (BDA). BDA can readily react with glutathione, amino acids, biogenic amines, or nucleotides to form corresponding metabolites, some of which have been proposed as potential biomarkers of exposure to furan. Present risk assessment of furan mainly employed the margin of exposure approach. Given the widespread occurrence of furan in foods and its harmful health effects, mitigating furan levels in foods or exploring potential dietary supplements to protect against furan toxicity is necessary for the benefit of food safety and public health.