Categories: NewsYear 2011April

Coffee capsules : health hazard ?

Are coffee capsules dangerous ? What are the differences between the coffee capsule and other types of coffee ?

Coffee capsule contains much more of furan (a potentially carcinogenic substance) that the coffee powder from the traditional coffeemaker, According to a Spanish study. Javier Santos, Department of analytical chemistry at the University of Barcelona, explique que “ce n’est pas la même chose de préparer un café dans une cafetière traditionnelle, in a coffee maker or espresso capsules, car celles-ci conduisent à des niveaux de furane différents”.

What are the different identified levels ?

Furan concentrations :

  • Coffee capsule : 117 to 244 ng/ml (nanograms per millilitre, 1 NG = 109 g)
  • Espresso : 43 to 146 ng/ml
  • Coffee filter coffee : 20 to 78 ng/ml and 14 to 65 ng/ml for decaffeinated coffee
  • Instant coffee : 12 to 35 ng/ml

That is what the furan ?

Furan is a colorless volatile organic compound used in some industries for the manufacture of chemical substances. This substance can also be found in low concentrations in food heat treated such as foods canned or potted. Various mechanisms can be the source of the formation of Furan in food, et elle repose sur la présence naturelle de divers composés déclencheurs qui font l’objet d’une détérioration thermique ou de réarrangements chimiques pendant la transformation des aliments.” [1]

“En mai 2004, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) has detected low levels of Furan in a wider variety of foods than had been reported previously, le plus souvent dans des aliments soumis à un traitement thermique tel que la mise en conserve ou l’appertisation.” [1]

Of after Health Canada, the main foods containing high levels of furan are : coffee, soups, stews and chilis containing meat, canned pasta dishes. Note that found also at high rates in the jars for babies with meat and vegetables.

Effects of furan on health

“Le Centre international de Recherche sur le Cancer (IARC) has classified as furan potentially carcinogenic to humans. [1]

The risks to humans are at the moment still poorly known. Studies are underway to better know the effects of small doses of furan we ingest. In 2010, the JECFA (Joint international Committee FAO.WHO expert on food additives) has concluded that furan is worrying for health and that the research, who are current, are a priority.

How is it that there are more Furan in capsules ?

Furan, that is a very volatile compound, remains in capsules which are hermetically closed. The machine uses water under high pressure and which, with the speed of the process entails Furan in the drink.

There is apparently little risk to health

The study estimated that the daily intake of furan, in Barcelona, is 0.03 to 0.38 µg/kg body weight (microgram, 1µg = 106g).

Researchers will want reassuring, should be according to them, drink 20 from cafés of capsules per day so that there is danger to health, reports Futura - sciences.com. Well before arriving at toxic doses of furan, adverse effects of caffeine will be felt.

Précisons que l’EFSA has assessed the exposure of a European between 0.53 to 0.66 µg/kg body weight per day, While the FDA has assessed him to 0.26µg/kg.

There are two ways to lower the rate of Furan in coffee

The report explains that a long roasting time (20 minutes against 10/15 minutes) and what a less hot water (140° C against 200 / 220 ° C) have the effect of reducing the rate of Furan in coffee.

For all other foods should know that once in the open air (cooking in a pan, recipient open, etc.) furan evaporates in the same way, thereby reducing its content.

More details on furan :

  • Study on the potential carcinogenic and genotoxic substances in food such as furan (in French) : CTF 5107 Furan

Main sources :

  • http://www.ScienceDirect.com – “Occurrence of furan in coffee from Spanish market: Contribution of brewing and roasting” – Food Chemestry – Volume 126, Issue 4, 15 June 2011, Pages 1527-1532
  • [1] www.HC-SC.GC.ca
  • FOEN (1997) Dioxins and furans, the environment n ° 290 specifications, substances dangerous for the environment (in German)
10?12 kg
F. Boyat

View Comments

    • EH!!! me who was thinking of buying this coffee and apparatus for home for the weekend, car je l'ai très apprécié au bureau

  • Seen the side "top of the range" the thing, I think that the brand could react a little more actively to such an announcement, plutôt que de dire que la dose n'est dangereuse qu'à partir de 20 capsules par jour...

  • @Régine : C'est bien marqué dans l'article qu'il y aurait peu de risques pour la santé... C'est donc pas une nouvelle très alarmiste, mais c'est un risque qui est à signaler quand même.

  • Et moi qui croyait que le danger venait de la capsule en alu ....rapport à la correlation Alu/Alhzeimer supposée ....!

  • C'est très bien d'informer sur la mal bouffe!! rien ne m'étonne aujourd'hui, on poisons in small fire, but do we have to feed, et le commun du mortel n'a aucun moyen de faire autrement, alors de temps à autre on glane quelques infos deci delà et on essai de s'y tenir, mais c'est infime face à ces monstres mondiaux et tous ces lobbies qui mènent le monde!

  • J'achète mon café au mag bio et je le fais dans une cafetière traditionnelle.
    Toutes ces machines à capsules sont des gadgets et sont trop chers pour ce que c'est !

    • YES 4 g of coffee per capsule , 0,40 ct capsule! in fact it Kg 100E ?......Prendre du MOKA djima d'Ethiopie il pousse naturellement dans les forets ; so no pesticide !! BIO !

    • C est la solution contre le furane et des économies pour le porte monnaie j achete aussi mon café en Magazin bio et je le fais dans une cafetière italienne mais j avoue que j ai du mal à quitter ma Nespresso pour un café de temps en temps en l'échine pour moi c est très différent quand même le top ! In short'll have to make an effort to spend Sven ..when she did not break I will restore to this time ! Because the aluminum gives alzheimer carcinogen furan and more Nespresso no effort for organic coffee while c is a super expensive luxury product it starts to do well ! A joke on t !!!

  • Je suis intéressée par le propos de Lilli car ma soeur vient de me léguer sa nespresso qui a déjà quelques années dans l'aile (le modèle n'est même plus sur le site). Je trouve le café bon mais il n'a pas de corps (consistency). Néanmoins le danger m'interpelle et J'aimerais que Lilli précise lorsqu'elle dit qu'"just leave the coffee"...

  • Me j have more than enough of this, you have to die of something non.je don't want vovte old and shaky as l on ppudse left where on the right without that I cannot respond. I already don't smoke.

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