Health Effects of Ethyl carbamate

Urethane, an organic compound typically used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals or in pesticides as a solubilizer and cosolvent. Ethyl carbamate is usually seen as either white crystals or a white, granular powder that dissolves easily in water.

Ethyl carbamate also known as urethane, is a contaminant naturally formed in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages during the fermentation process or during storage. EC has also been used as human medicine which is now banned due to toxicological concerns and lack of efficacy.

Health Effects of EC

The Ethyl Carbamate Preventative Action Manual was prepared and presented to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to an FDA request that the Wine Industry update the information available on how to reduce ethyl carbamate in wine by modifying agricultural and winemaking practices.

Variable levels of EC have been found in different alcoholic beverages. For example, spirits, particularly those made from stone-fruits such as cherries, apricots or plums, usually contain higher amount of EC while beers contain low levels. EC levels can differ greatly between different types of alcoholic beverages e.g. the mean EC contents in fruit brandy in some reports were over 600 times that of beer.

Public concerns regarding EC in foods are related to its potential to cause cancer in human. EC has been observed to cause various types of cancer in experimental animals. In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) up-graded the classification of EC to Group 2A "probably carcinogenic to humans".

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluated EC in 2005. It concluded that intake of EC from foods excluding alcoholic beverages would be of low concern. However, dietary exposure to EC from both food and alcoholic beverage was of concern and measures to reduce concentrations of EC in some alcoholic beverages were recommended.

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