Are home practices safe? Furan mitigation in infant food handling

The general health and wellness of citizens, as well as the long-term competitiveness of food companies, depend on the availability of products that meet the demand for safe, healthy, tasty, and sustainable food. This requires the collective effort of all actors involved in the food chain, including at the home level. Furan is a potential cancer-causing chemical, part of volatile organic compounds, that forms when food is heated, yet evaporates easily. It poses a significant health risk, especially in infant foods. Commercial infant food jars have been identified as a primary source of furan exposure, which raises concerns due to infants' higher vulnerability. This study (i) investigates the most common ways people in Europe handle commercial vegetable-based infant food jars at home, (ii) analyses the impact of these practices on furan levels in relation to scientific literature, and (iii) explores factors that explain consumer concerns about chemicals formed during food process, using a machine learning method and data from a survey of 3585 European consumers as part of the 'Safe Food For Infants' (SAFFI) EU-China project. The results highlight some common European home practices that deserve further attention regarding the mitigation of furan (and derivatives) in food: using the microwave to reheat food, usually covering the food and not stirring it while reheating. Consumer concerns about chemicals formed during food process are linked to environmental factors (country, infant's age), habits about organizing infant meals (how long meals last and how long unopened baby food is stored), individual factors (responder's age and education level), and habits about reheating infant food (how long food is reheated and left to stand afterwards). This study emphasizes the importance of appropriate home practices and of enhanced risk communication to reduce both risk and consumer concerns.