Comparative analysis of furan contents and physicochemical properties of various nuts roasted using an air fryer and microwave oven.

This article investigates the effects of roasting five types of nuts—almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, and sacha inchi—using an air fryer (AF) and microwave oven (MO) on furan levels and various physicochemical properties. Furan, a volatile compound classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B possible human carcinogen, was found to increase significantly with roasting time and temperature/power in both methods, with sacha inchi showing the highest levels due to its high linolenic acid content. Roasting also caused a significant decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids), slight changes in monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid) content, a decrease in lightness (L* value), increases in redness (a*), yellowness (b*), and browning index, as well as increases in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity up to certain roasting conditions. The study highlights the trade-off between enhanced antioxidant properties and increased furan formation during roasting, providing valuable data for optimizing roasting conditions using AF and MO to balance nutritional benefits and food safety.