Abstract
Furan is a volatile compound presence in coffee due to thermal processing and its classified as possibly carcinogenic to human. In recent years, different technological strategies to prevent or mitigate furan formation in foods have been performed. The present work as a part of long term program aims to reduce the toxic substances resulted due to roasting process by using gamma-rays. The present investigation studied the furan content in different types of coffee beans (green, light and dark roasted beans) before and after irradiated with different doses (5.0,10.0 and 20.0 kGy) of gamma-irradiation. The results obtained proved that green coffee beans were less content in furan which increased linearly by thermal process, whereas irradiation doses decreased linearly with high significant correlation coefficient (R2). Therefore, gamma-irradiation doses (5.0,10.0 and 20.0kGy) were used for decontamination of molds in collected green coffee beans for decontamination at 10 -20 kGy than using roasted beans (as reported before by same workers). In this respect, the irradiated green coffee beans become more safety with low furan besides free of mould contamination. The present work recommended that using lowdose (10kGy) of gamma- irradiation are the ideal solution to reduce the toxic substances besides decontamination, disinfestations of green coffee beans as safe alternative of using harmful chemical for human consumption besides decreasing furan content.