Statistical analysis on toxicity of a nitrofuran derivative, 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide.

A food additive, furylfuramide or AF-2, which had been used in Japan since 1965 and structurally is composed of 5-nitro-2-furyl radical and acrylamide, was re-examined mainly on chronic toxicity by statistically reviewing published data. The conclusions are as follows: 1) The maximum safety dosage which shows no demonstrable change in rats must be corrected at least to 1/170 of the value which has been accepted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan (MHW). 2) The minimum effective dose to bacterial growth in food can not be lowered below the standard usage level with MHW determined, because the inactivation factor in food, decreasing effectivity to 1/20, must be taken into consideration. 3) In view of these two facts, AF-2 is found to be unacceptable as a food additive. 4) Great importance must also be attached to the possibility of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of AF-2, pointed out recently. Both neurotoxicity and dermatitis observed in tofu (soybean curd) makers are also memtioned.