Furfural dosage

Furfural measurement is a benchmark analysis for assessing the quality, stability, and freshness of many natural or processed matrices. This aromatic aldehyde, derived from the degradation of sugars, is formed naturally during Maillard reactions or the thermal decomposition of pentoses. Its quantification makes it possible to identify alterations, monitor processing processes, or verify the authenticity of plant-based products.

Furfural: a marker of degradation and authenticity

Furfural (CAS No. 98-01-1) is a key molecule for the quality control of foodstuffs, natural extracts, flavorings, and solvents. It has a sweet, almond-like odor, but its excessive presence often indicates heating, oxidation, or product spoilage.

In honey, alcoholic beverages, and juices, furfural results from aging, prolonged storage, or excessive heat treatment. Its detection helps distinguish a fresh product from a degraded one. In the cosmetic and aromatic fields, it is also used to characterize natural extracts, essential oils, and solvents derived from biomass.

Interest in furfural dosage

Quantification of furfural is essential for:

• control the quality and freshness of food or cosmetic products,
• detect overheating during heat treatment or distillation,
• assess the chemical stability of plant extracts and flavors,
• authenticate natural raw materials and identify falsifications,
• follow Maillard reactions in products containing sugars and amino acids.

This analysis constitutes a reliable indicator of the state of conservation, particularly useful in controls of aging, formulation or validation of industrial processes.

Analytical methods used

The dosage of furfural is based on high-precision chromatographic techniques adapted to the nature of the matrix:

• GC-FID (gas chromatography with flame ionization detection) : used for the quantification of furfural in aromatic extracts, solvents or volatile matrices.
• GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) : allows specific identification and sensitive measurement of furfural, even in complex matrices.
• HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) : preferred for aqueous or sugar-rich matrices, such as honey, juices, wines and syrups.

These techniques can be combined to obtain a complete analysis of the aromatic or thermal profile of the product. They are often carried out in conjunction with the determination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) , a molecule closely related to furfural and also resulting from sugar degradation reactions.

Sectors of application

Furfural dosage applies to many industrial fields:

• Food industry : quality control of honey, syrups, juices, wines, and spirits. Furfural is a recognized indicator of aging or excessive heat treatment.
• Cosmetics and perfumery : characterization of natural extracts, bio-sourced solvents or aromatic ingredients used in formulations.
• Flavors and natural ingredients industry : verification of the authenticity of vanilla, caramel or red fruit extracts, in addition to furaneol dosage , maltol dosage or vanillin dosage .
• Biomaterials and bio-based solvents : measuring the purity of furfural as a chemical intermediate from lignocellulosic biomass.

These analyses can be integrated into an overall quality control plan including formaldehyde determination or acrolein quantification, also available in the YesWeLab catalog.

Carrying out analyses at YesWeLab

YesWeLab offers furfural testing through a network of partner laboratories specializing in chromatographic analyses. These laboratories have high-performance equipment (GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC) and are mostly certified or accredited according to the ISO 17025 standard and the COFRAC standard.

Our experts support manufacturers, formulators and producers in selecting the method best suited to their product: choice of solvent, type of matrix, desired detection limit or need for multi-analysis.

Thanks to the YesWeLab digital platform, you can centralize your requests, track your analyses in real time, and view your results online. Our scientific team provides personalized support at every step of the process, guaranteeing data reliability and traceability.

Since 2020, numerous players in the agri-food, cosmetics, aromatherapy, and chemical sectors have entrusted their samples to YesWeLab for the measurement of furfural and related compounds. Our tailored approach optimizes costs, timeframes, and analytical accuracy, while meeting the regulatory and normative requirements of your products.

Technical data

• CAS No.: 98-01-1
• Available methods: GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC
• Expertise: Physicochemical, nutritional
• Sectors concerned: Cosmetics, food, flavors, bio-sourced solvents

For any specific request or characterization project, contact our team now to obtain a personalized quote and analytical advice tailored to your matrices.