Discovery: Acrylamide and Furan cannot be eliminated simultaneously when roasting coffee!
During the roasting process, coffee not only forms compounds that positively impact flavor but also produces small amounts of unwanted compounds. These substances have the potential to negatively affect users’ health. Recently, scientists have discovered two substances in roasted coffee that can cause cancer. Furthermore, Acrylamide and Furan cannot be eliminated simultaneously when roasting coffee! Let’s find out with XLIII Coffee!
Acrylamide and Furan are two harmful substances that often arise when roasting coffee
The Institute of Food Chemistry at Braunschweig Technical University (Germany) has researched and discovered that coffee often produces toxic substances such as Acrylamide and Furan. Both of these chemicals are a popular topic among food chemistry researchers regarding cancer risk. Acrylamide content is highest at light roasts and decreases later with longer roasts. Conversely, Furan increases in dark roasts and is low in light roasts.
In particular, Furan is a volatile compound with a boiling point of 31.4 degrees Celsius. It is formed in food through heat treatment. Furan toxicity is well documented and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen. Acrylamide is a chemical used in the production of paper, dyes, plastics drinking water, and wastewater treatment. This substance is also formed in foods during the baking or browning process. Acrylamide has not been identified by many studies as a carcinogen in humans. However, several reputable organizations such as the International Institute for Cancer Research (IARC), the US National Toxicology (NTP), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have classified acrylamide as potentially carcinogenic for humans.
Acrylamide and Furan are substances that have the potential to cause cancer in humans
The study found that simultaneous reduction of Acrylamide and Furan during the coffee roasting process is not possible
A project supported through the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) promotion program of the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) sought to reduce both acrylamide and furans in the coffee roasting process. The results show that acrylamide and furan content can be minimized during roasting. However, it is not possible to reduce both substances simultaneously by changing roasting parameters or using pretreatments. Even with special roast profiles, no option can simultaneously optimize harmful substances in the roasting process.
If you want to reduce furan content, you can choose light roast levels. If you want to reduce acrylamide levels, the roasting process needs to take longer. However, dark roasting is not recommended as it can completely change the characteristics of the coffee.
Acrylamide and Furan cannot be eliminated simultaneously when roasting coffee
The concentration of toxins generated during the coffee roasting process
Some other studies show that coffee brewed with a fully automatic machine has the highest concentration of furan and furan derivatives (9.905 µg/L furan, 263.91 µg/L 2-methylfuran, 13.15 µg/L 3-methylfuran and 8.44 µg/L 2. 5-dimethylfuran). Furan concentrations were higher in ground coffee from espresso machines (43–146 µg/L) than in coffee brewed by home coffee makers (20 and 78 µg/L). Meanwhile, instant coffee only has negligible concentration. Furan levels from decaffeinated coffee of approximately 14–65 µg/L are almost similar to furan levels from manual home coffee makers.
Coffee brewed with a fully automatic machine
has the highest concentration of furans and furan derivatives
It can be concluded that, currently, manufacturers can only reduce the content of acrylamide or furan/methyl furans during roasting. However, simultaneous reduction seems impossible. According to scientists, this must be taken into account if limits or guideline values are to be established in the future. However, scientists are still trying to research new solutions to minimize harmful substances generated during the roasting process. They also note that coffee also contains many compounds that are beneficial for health, preventing cancer. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately conclude that drinking coffee will cause harm.
For those interested in this topic, follow XLIII Coffee’s Journal channel to explore more!
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