# Presentation: 692102

## An Updated Exposure Assessment for Furan from the Consumption of Adult and Baby Foods

- Michael DiNovi, Ph.D., and Jeremy Mihalov, M.S.
- April 18, 2007

## Exposure Model

- The total exposure to furan is the sum of the exposures from each food over all foods containing furan.
- Exposure from each food is the product of the intake of that food and the concentration of furan in that food.

## Exposure Model

- Food intakes are derived from the 1994-6,8 USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII)
- 2-day survey of >5000 individuals/year
- Actual food intakes and body weights reported by individuals in the survey were used to calculate furan exposure.
- Furan concentrations are from FDA as published on CFSAN website through spring 2007.
- Adult foods, baby foods, and infant formula were considered separately.

## Some Foods Containing Furan

- Infant Foods
- Juices
- Jarred fruits
- Jarred vegetables
- Mixed chicken, beef, and pasta meals
- Infant Formula

## Some Foods Containing Furan

- Adult Foods
- Coffee
- Canned/bottled vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices
- Canned mixtures (chili, soup, pasta meals, baked beans)
- Nutritional drinks
- Jams/jellies
- Snack foods
- Cereals
- Canned meats and fish, meat substitutes
- Pasta sauces and gravies
- Nutritional drinks

## Furan Levels Identified by FDA

- Limited variability within tested food types
- Ranges from <LOD to 175 g/kg
- Jarred infant foods
- Sweet potatoes and garden vegetables, 15 to 110 g/kg
- Other vegetables, 30 to 65 g/kg
- Pastas containing meat, 10 to 90 g /kg
- Juices, <10 g/kg
- Fruits, <30 g/kg
- Formula, <LOD to 21 g/kg (as ready to use)
- All powdered samples were <LOD

## Furan Levels Identified by FDA

- Adult Foods
- Coffee, <LOD to 80 g/kg
- Brewed coffee levels typically higher than instant coffee levels
- Juices, <LOD to 30 g/kg
- Canned or cured meats, <LOD to 40 g/kg
- Canned fish, < LOD to 10 g/kg
- Snack foods, <LOD to 65 g/kg
- Cereals, 10 to 45 g/kg
- Canned mixtures (e.g., chili, soup, pasta meals & sauces, baked beans), < LOD to 125 g/kg
- Nutritional drinks, <LOD to 175 g/kg
- Gravies, 10 to 175 g/kg

## Model Assumptions

- Conservative, typical for FDA assessments
- The concentration of furan in all furan-containing foods is the mean for the specific food type (reflects chronic exposure to varying levels).
- All foods in a food type that has been shown to contain furan do contain furan, i.e., all chili whether canned or not.
- 2-day intake data reflect lifetime usual intake

## Furan Exposure

- Based on concentration data posted through spring 2007
- Adult Foods (2+ year olds)
- Mean 			0.26 g/kg-bw/day
- 90th percentile		0.61 g/kg-bw/day
- Infant foods (0-1 year olds)
- Mean			0.41 g/kg-bw/day
- 90th percentile		0.99 g/kg-bw/day

## Exposure from Adult Food Types

| Brewed coffee | 0.15  μg/kg-bw/day |
| --- | --- |
| Chili | 0.04  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Cereals1 | 0.01 μg/kg-bw/day |
| Salty Snacks | 0.01 μg/kg-bw/day |
| Soups containing meat | 0.01  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Pork and beans | 0.004  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Canned pasta | 0.004  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Canned string beans | 0.004  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Pasta sauces | 0.001  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Juices | 0.001  μg/kg-bw/day |
| Canned tuna (water packed) | 0.00008  μg/kg-bw/day |

- 1. Assuming that all cereals contain the average level of furan of the 6 samples tested.  Cereal intakes reported in the CSFII are brand specific, while other foods are typically generic.

## Furan Exposure

- Infant Formula
- 100-120 Kcal/kg-bw/day needed for growth
- Formula contains 0.8 Kcal/g
- Mean furan concentration of 7 g/kg
- Exposure
- 0.9 g/kg-bw/day

## Conclusions

- Variability of furan levels within a food type is small; additional measurements within the same food type will not affect exposure greatly.
- A broad number of food types has now been tested; additional measurements in new food types will not have a great effect on overall exposure, but will help define variability while reducing uncertainty.