The identity of furans, carcinogens in instant rice

What is a furan?

Furans are substances contained in tar obtained by drying pine ash. In daily life, it is known to be produced when food is heat treated or carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids are heated during the cooking process. This furan is attracting attention because it is classified as a possible carcinogen that causes cancer in the human body.

What are possible carcinogens?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies carcinogens as class 5.

According to this classification criterion, substances that have a clear basis for epidemiological carcinogenicity in humans fall into group 1, and those with sufficient evidence in animals but insufficient evidence in humans fall into group 2A. The furans I'm going to talk about today belong to Group 2B. Group 2B corresponds to substances that can only be extrapolated due to insufficient evidence in both humans and animals.

In addition to furans, substances belonging to Group 2B include diesel, gasoline, nickel, and DDT, which were widely used as pesticides in the past, and electromagnetic waves from mobile phones.

The effects of furans on the human body

To date, there are no scientific studies that have shown that furans are specifically associated with any disease or toxicity.

However, animal studies on mice have shown that furans release toxins that damage the liver and kidneys and have the potential to cause cancer when exposed to significantly higher doses than are exposed in daily life.

Foods high in furans

Furans are found in nearly 40% of cereals. Since these cereals include cup noodles and cup rice, it seems necessary to be especially careful when drinking instant cans, bottled grains, and alcoholic beverages.

How to eat food safely from furans

Have you ever heard of carcinogenesis? The word came about because even if you eat the same food, it affects carcinogenesis differently from person to person. Even if furans are in small amounts in nature, it is recommended that they be taken in a safe way whenever possible.

First of all, furans are highly volatile, so it's best to wait until you open the product and allow it to fly away before consuming it.

In the case of retort foods such as cupbap or soy milk, it is recommended to heat it thoroughly before consuming it, and in the case of infant drinks that are liked by small children, it is recommended to refrigerate the product for at least a day after opening the lid. In the case of meat, it is recommended to heat it to 50 to 70 degrees Celsius, and for instant or ground coffee, it is recommended to leave it for about 5 minutes.