Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 67, Revision 1 (FGE.67Rev.1): Consideration of 40 furan-substituted aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and related esters, sulfides, disulfides and ethers evaluated by J

Do GC/MS methods available for furan and alkylfurans in food provide comparable results? - An interlaboratory study and safety assessment of 2-pentylfuran in food

A call for data on the occurrence of alkylfurans in food and feed from EFSA triggered the development of new methods to cover next to furan also 2- and 3-methylfuran, 2,5-dimethyl- and 2-ethylfuran as well as 2-pentylfuran. A significant variability was noticed when comparing analysis of 2-pentylfuran and furans in the same matrix performed by different laboratories. To assess the variability an interlaboratory study including eight laboratories was organised. The highest variabilities were observed when analysing cereals, with measurements of 2-pentylfuran indicating concentrations from 8 mg/kg up to more than 1000 mg/kg in the same sample. This study illustrates that the analysis of 2-pentylfuran requires special attention, and that additional method development would be necessary to ensure reliable and reproducible determination of 2-pentylfuran at contamination level. Moreover, a recent evaluation of the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings indicates that concerns for genotoxicity, reason why it was grouped with the shorter alkylfurans, are now ruled out. We question the need and justification to include 2-pentylfuran in the analytical method as requested by EFSA, from both the analytical and the safety perspective.

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil from Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl (cassia leaf oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from leaves, stalks and twigs of Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl (cassia leaf oil) when used as a sensory additive (flavouring) in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. Owing to the presence of styrene in cassia leaf oil, the FEEDAP Panel is not in the position to conclude for long-living animals and animals for reproduction. For 'short-living' animals, the FEEDAP Panel concluded that cassia leaf oil is considered as safe up to the maximum proposed use levels in complete feed of 28.5 mg/kg for chickens for fattening and other minor poultry, 38 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 51 mg/kg for piglets and other minor Suidae, 61 mg/kg for pigs for fattening, 100 mg/kg for veal calves (milk replacer), 60 mg/kg for cattle for fattening and other ruminants for fattening, 30 mg/kg for horses, 25 mg/kg for rabbits, 125 mg/kg for salmonids and other fin fish. For the other minor species, the additive is considered as safe at 28.5 mg/kg complete feed. For 'short-living' animals, the FEEDAP Panel considered the use in water for drinking as safe provided that the total daily intake of the additive does not exceed the daily amount that is considered safe when consumed via feed. No concerns for consumers were identified following the use of the additive at the use levels considered safe in feed for the target species. When handling the essential oil, exposure of unprotected users to styrene cannot be excluded. Therefore, to reduce the risk, the exposure of the users should be minimised. The use of the additive under the proposed conditions in animal feed was not expected to pose a risk for the environment. Cassia leaf oil was recognised to flavour food. Since its function in feed would be essentially the same as that in food, no further demonstration of efficacy was considered necessary.

Sugars Replacement as a Strategy to Control the Formation of α-Dicarbonyl and Furanic Compounds during Cookie Processing

In the last decade, several preventive strategies were considered to mitigate the chemical hazard accumulation in food products. This work aimed to study the effect of different sugars on the development of the main chemical hazard in cookies. For this purpose, model biscuits prepared using sucrose, fructose, and glucose were baked at different temperatures (150, 170, and 190 °C) and for different times (from 5 to 45 min), and the levels of α-dicarbonyl compounds, such as 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and furanic aromatic compounds were monitored. The replacement of sucrose in the cookie recipes with monosaccharides had as a consequence the highest accumulation of 3-DG (200-600 times higher), MGO, HMF, and furanic volatile compounds, while the use of sucrose allowed for maintaining the 3-DG, MGO, and HMF levels at less than 10 mg/kg dry matter in cookies for the estimated optimal baking time. Moreover, cookies with sucrose were characterised in terms of volatile compounds, mainly in terms of lipid oxidation products, while cookies with fructose or glucose baked at the highest temperature were characterised almost exclusively by Maillard reaction products, confirming a faster development of this reaction during baking at the studied temperatures.

Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 67, Revision 3 (FGE.67Rev3): consideration of 23 furan-substituted compounds evaluated by JECFA at the 55th, 65th, 69th and 86th meetings

The Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) was requested to consider the JECFA evaluations of 25 flavouring substances assigned to the Flavouring Group Evaluation 67 (FGE.67Rev3), using the Procedure as outlined in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. Eleven substances have already been considered in FGE.67 and its revisions (FGE.67Rev1 and FGE.67Rev2). During the current assessment, two substances were no longer supported by industry, therefore 12 candidate substances are evaluated in FGE.67Rev3. New genotoxicity and toxicity data are available for 2-pentylfuran [FL-no: 13.059] and 2-acetylfuran [FL-no: 13.054], which are representative substances of subgroup IV [FL-no: 13.069, 13.106, 13.148] and VI-B [FL-no: 13.045, 13.070, 13.083, 13.101, 13.105, 13.138, 13.163], respectively. Based on these data, the Panel concluded that the concern for genotoxicity is ruled out for both [FL-no: 13.054] and [FL-no: 13.059] and consequently for the substances that they represent. Since the candidate substances cannot be anticipated to be metabolised to innocuous products only, they were evaluated along the B-side of the Procedure. The Panel derived a NOAEL of 22.6 mg/kg bw per day and a BMDL of 8.51 mg/kg bw per day, for 2-acetylfuran and 2-pentylfuran, respectively. For all 12 substances sufficient margins of safety were calculated when based on the MSDI approach. Adequate specifications for the materials of commerce are available for all 23 flavouring substances. The Panel agrees with JECFA conclusions, for all 23 substances, 'No safety concern at estimated levels of intake as flavouring substances' based on the MSDI approach. For 18 substances [FL-no: 13.021, 13.022, 13.023, 13.024, 13.031, 13.045, 13.047, 13.054, 13.059, 13.074, 13.083, 13.101, 13.105, 13.106, 13.138, 13.148, 13.163 and 13.190], the mTAMDI intake estimates are above the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) for their structural classes and more reliable data on uses and use levels are required to finalise their evaluation.

Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 501 (FGE.501): Grill flavour concentrate (vegetable)

The Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings of the European Food Safety Authority was requested to deliver a scientific opinion on the implications for human health of the product Grill flavour concentrate (vegetable) [FL-no: 21.002] in the Flavouring Group Evaluation 501 (FGE.501), according to Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 and Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The product is derived from heat-treated canola oil and intended to be used as a food flavouring with grilled aroma in a wide variety of food categories. Information on manufacturing and compositional data was considered adequate to show the reproducibility of the production process. The chronic dietary exposure to the substance estimated using the added portions exposure technique (APET) was calculated to be 0.402 and 0.252 mg/person per day for a 60-kg adult and for a 15-kg child, respectively. Based on exposure estimate and the results from the repeated-dose toxicity studies, a sufficient margin of safety could be calculated. However, the Panel noted that for six constituents of the flavouring there is an indication for genotoxicity. Therefore, these six substances have to be further considered. Until these evaluations have been finalised the safety of Grill flavour concentrate (vegetable) cannot be fully assessed.