(1)

Furan and alkylfurans, which include methylfurans such as 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran and 2,5-dimethylfuran, are process contaminants that are formed in foods during thermal processing.

(2)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain adopted a scientific opinion in 2017 on the risks that the presence of furan and methylfurans in food poses to public health (1). It concluded that the current levels of exposure to furan indicate a health concern. As for methylfurans, the opinion concluded that they may add significantly to the overall exposure to furan and alkylfurans and therefore increase the health concern. However, as data are lacking on the presence of methylfurans in food EFSA recommended producing additional data in this area. In particular, furan and alkylfurans have been reported to occur in coffee, jarred baby food, ready-to-eat soup, potato-based crisps, fruit juices, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers and crispbread.

(3)

2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran can be reliably quantified with the currently available methods of analysis, while further work is needed for the reliable analysis of 2,5-dimethylfuran. However, if the used method of analysis enables it, it would be appropriate to analyse and quantify 2,5-dimethylfuran and to report the data.

(4)

Furthermore, the scientific literature has recently pointed to the presence of food contaminants related to alkylfurans other than methylfurans, such as 2-pentylfuran and 2-ethylfuran. It would therefore be appropriate to analyse and quantify such additional (non-methylfurans) alkylfurans, provided that the method of analysis is reliable for this purpose.

(5)

The results of the monitoring of furan and alkylfurans must be reliable and comparable. It is therefore appropriate to provide instructions on sampling and analytical performance criteria.

(6)

EFSA has a mandate from the European Commission to collect all available data on the occurrence of chemical contaminants in food and feed. These data are used in EFSA’s scientific opinions and reports on contaminants in food and feed.

(7)

It is therefore appropriate to recommend that furan and alkylfurans in food be monitored and the data reported to EFSA.

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For the analysis of furan in foods other than coffee and jarred baby food, Member States and food business operators should use a method that complies with these criteria and the limit of quantification (LOQ) should not be higher than 5 μg/kg.

For the analysis of 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran in foods other than coffee and jarred baby food, laboratories should have quality control procedures in place to ensure the reliability of the obtained analytical results where the LOQ should not be higher than 5 μg/kg.

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