News

Go back

14.03.2025 - Foods

Furan, nitrate and cadmium detected in carrot juices for babies

In the current issue of Öko-Test, it is reported that increased levels of furan, nitrate, and cadmium have been found in carrot juices for babies and toddlers.

In their report, Ökotest points out that furan is considered possibly carcinogenic to humans. It is formed when food is heated. 

There are currently no limits for furan. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), infants are, on average, more burdened with furan per kilogram of body weight due to the comparatively high levels in infant food than other age groups. 

This is particularly concerning because infants are generally considered a more sensitive population group. Therefore, the furan exposure in infant food should be minimized as a precaution.

Nitrate can also be problematic because it is converted into nitrite during digestion. This, in turn, can react with other substances in the stomach to form nitrosamines, which are considered carcinogenic in animal tests. There are already limits for nitrate in the EU for infant formula according to the Contaminants Regulation.

Cadmium can accumulate in the body over time and cause long-term kidney damage as well as weakening of the bones. This exposure is particularly concerning for babies and toddlers because their still immature organs are more sensitive to it. To minimize the risk, there are established limits for infant food according to Regulation (EU) 2023/915.

In Our Tentamus Laboratories, we regularly conduct tests for furan, nitrate, and cadmium. 

We provide you with fast and reliable results and are happy to advise you on all matters related to product safety. 

If you have any questions, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.

Source: 

Öko-Test No. 03/2025 - https://www.oekotest.de/

Furan: https://www.bfr.bund.de/de/fragen_und_antworten_zu_furan_in_lebensmitteln-127914.html