Résumé
Children under the age of 3 are highly vulnerable to chemical hazards because their immune system is immature, and their food absorption capacity is greater than that of adults. Given that food is a major source of exposure, process-induced toxicants like furan and several of its derivatives, formed during heat treatments are of particular concern. Furan is in fact ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans' and is also suspected to affect reproductive and nervous systems. In addition to furan, 2-methylfuran (2-MF), 3-methylfuran (3-MF) are also targeted by the European Commission (2022) and the latter is today recommending to expand research to other possible derivatives of furan which could also be at risk for infants.Due to the ability of furan to be generated by heating processes and its volatility, its quantification in complex matrices like infant foods still represents a real challenge. Although different couplings between the most popular headspace extraction techniques and Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) systems have been proposed, no study published to date has really made it possible to identify an indisputable method for its quantification [1]. This paper demonstrates the value of the accuracy profile approach for assessment, validation and benchmarking of methods and shows that static headspace -GC-Q Exactive Orbitrap MS is the best choice for the quantification of Furan, 2-MF and 3-MF in infant foods. Moreover, it also points out that GC-Q Exactive Orbitrap MS is also relevant for suspect screening exploration of furan derivatives in infant foods. A broad range of compounds are given, including compounds never reported until now in infant foods.Given that infants are more exposed to furan than adults mainly via ready-to-eat meals and more particularly via vegetables-based meals, mitigation strategies are needed to reduce infant dietary exposure to furan and to its derivatives in these foods. These mitigation strategies rely on the development of less generating industrial processing but also on recommendations for adapted home practices. Based on the analytical developments described above, the impact of mild processing technologies like High Pressure Thermal Processing and key domestic practices like post-reheating stirring on the level of furan and derivatives in infant food is demonstrated.