Comparative study of molasses produced by traditional and industrial techniques from the viewpoint of furan derivatives, mutagenicity/antimutagenicity, and microbiological safety

Abstract

Molasses is one of the popular and traditional foods produced and consumed in Turkey for a long time. The present work aimed to evaluate the safety of molasses which is produced traditionally and industrially. Ames/Salmonella mutagenicity and the MTT cytotoxicity methods were used for the safety evaluation. The amounts of furan derivatives were comparatively determined. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content of some samples were above the legal limit of 70 mg/kg. Ames/Salmonella mutagenicity assay showed that molasses had no mutagenic effect. On the other hand, antimutagenic activity was observed after metabolic activation. The margins of exposure were above the value of 100, thus indicating the safety of samples regarding furan derivatives exposure. The higher HMF content and osmophilic yeast counts of traditionally produced molasses as compared to the industrially produced samples are alarming, and suggest that traditional and industrial food production may need a separate risk assessments by the national authority.