The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an assessment of the risks of furans and related compounds 2- and 3-methylfurans, concluding that they pose a higher risk to infants—the most exposed group—than older children or adults because infants consume jarred or canned foods with high mean concentrations of the materials. Risks associated with furan exposure reportedly include liver damage and liver cancer. According to EFSA, furan exposure might be reduced through preparation methods such as reheating ready-to-eat foods in a hot-water bath without a lid because evaporation can remove some furan content. EFSA also reported that the highest exposure in adults was attributable to coffee; high mean concentrations of furan were found in whole roasted coffee beans, ground roasted coffee, coffee imitates and instant coffee powder.
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signed a final rule that will prohibit carbofuran residue in fruits and vegetables. The agency is also canceling all existing carbofuran registrations. Effective January 1, 2010, the rule will apply to both domestic and imported produce, including alfalfa, barley, beets, corn, cranberries, cucumbers, grapes, peppers, rice, soybeans, and wheat. According to the agency, “carbofuran products pose an unreasonable risk to man and the environment which outweighs the benefits of continued use, and therefore all uses must be canceled.” EPA has been investigating the insecticide, sold under the brand name Furadan®, for several years. Its granular form was banned in the mid-1990s because it was blamed for killing millions of migratory birds. EPA claims that the pesticide “can overstimulate the nervous system, causing nausea, dizziness, confusion and, at very high exposures, respiratory paralysis and death.” The rule has been forwarded to the Federal Register for publication.…
