Estimation of exposure to furan in the Spanish population

The presence of furan in foods has received recent attention because of its association with harmful effects to human health. This compound, which is originated as a consequence of thermal treatment, is mainly found in canned, jarred, toasted and fried foods. The aim of this study was to estimate the exposure to furan in the Spanish population and to study the evolution of furan content in the main categories of foods in recent years, taking into account changes in dietary patterns. With respect to exposure to furan in the Spanish population from 2001 to 2009, no large differences were found. The maximum furan exposure recorded in this study (1.95 μg/kg bw/day) is lower than the 'no observable adverse effect level' of 0.08 mg/kg bw/day determined in the studies of experimental animals, and is close to the reported acceptable daily intake of 2 μg/kg bw/day.