Impact of Physicochemical Parameters on the Furan, Alkylfuran, and Acrylamide Formation during Extrusion Cooking of Breakfast Cereals

Abstract

Furan and alkylfurans (furans) are process contaminants formed during the thermal treatment of food. Furan itself was classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. One relevant process during breakfast cereal production is the extrusion cooking of grain. To better understand the formation of furans and the correlation with acrylamide formation, model experiments were carried out with a laboratory extruder. Temperature of the barrel, moisture level, and extruder configuration were varied to determine their influence on the formation of furans during extrusion cooking of corn semolina as well as oat/rice and wheat/rice mixtures. A high correlation of the moisture levels and the specific mechanical energy input with the formation of furan and alkylfurans as well as the formation of acrylamide was observed. In corn extrudates, higher levels of 3-methylfuran were recorded in addition to higher levels of furan, while for oat and wheat mixtures, higher levels of 2-ethylfuran and 2-pentylfuran were determined.