Determination of furanic compounds in Mopane worms, corn, and peanuts using headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector

• Published in: Food chemistry 2022-02, Vol.369, p.130944-130944, Article 130944
• Main Authors: Masite, Nonkululeko S., Ncube, Somandla, Mtunzi, Fanyana M., Madikizela, Lawrence M., Pakade, Vusumzi E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Furan; GC/FID; HS-SPME; Mopane worms; Thermally processed food
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130944

•HS-SPME-GC/FID method for determination of furans in traditional foods was developed.•Furans were monitored in dried Mopane worms, corn, and roasted peanuts.•Good recoveries (67–106%) and low detection limits (0.54–3.5 µg kg−1) were obtained.•Furan and 2-methylfuran were detected in food samples. A headspace-solid phase microextraction - gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (HS-SPME-GC/FID) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of furan, 2-methylfuran and 2-furaldehyde in thermally processed Mopane worms, corn, and peanuts. The optimal HS-SPME conditions with polydimethylsiloxane/carboxen/divinylbenzene (PDMS/CAR/DVB) fiber were 30 °C, 40 min and 600 rpm stirring speed. The recoveries, detection and quantification limits for the analytes in food samples were 67–106%, 0.54–3.5 µg kg−1, and 1.8–12 µg kg−1, respectively. These results showed that the developed method was accurate, reproducible, and sensitive for the determination of furan, 2-methylfuran and 2-furaldehyde in complex food matrices with limited interference from other components. The optimised analytical method was applied for monitoring the presence of the furanic compounds in heat-processed South African foods. Although 2-furaldehyde was not detected in food samples, the maximum concentrations of 24 and 95 µg kg−1 were found for furan and 2-methylfuran, respectively.