Effect of Gamma Radiation on Furan Formation in Ready-to-Eat Products and their Ingredients

Besides meat as the major component, ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products often contain ingredients such as Na-ascorbate, Na-erythorbate, glucose, honey, corn syrup, and Na-nitrite. Furan is a potential carcinogen and information is needed on its formation in irradiated RTE products. In the present study, we investigated the generation of irradiation-induced furan in aqueous solutions of those ingredients, and in 9 RTE food products (8 meat and poultry-based and 1 vegetable burger). Irradiation at doses up to 4.5 kGy induced formation of furan in aqueous solutions of Na-ascorbate, Na-erythorbate, glucose, honey, and corn syrup. Addition of Na-nitrite into these solutions prior to irradiation completely eliminated, or significantly reduced, furan formation. Most of the nonirradiated RTE products contained less than 1 ng/g of furan, except for beef and turkey frankfurters which contained 6 to 8 ng/g furan. Exposure of RTE food products to 4.5 kGy radiation in the nonfrozen state (5 ◦C) or to 10 kGy radiation in the frozen state (−18 ◦C) did not significantly increase furan levels in most of the samples. Furthermore, the irradiation treatments reduced furan levels in samples (that is, frankfurters) that contained more than 3 ng/g of furan. Our results suggested that irradiation induces furan formation in solutions of many RTE food ingredients, but not in RTE meat and poultry products themselves.