Nitrofurans are a broad spectrum antibiotic that can be used by humans and animals to fight bacterial infections. Nitrofurans bind to cell macromolecules when they are metabolized. This bind is very stable and nitrofurans do not degrade with processing (such as cooking and grilling).

These antibiotics are a group of antimicrobial substances, used to control pathogens in many types of animals. It is included within the synthetic antibiotics obtained exclusively by chemical synthesis. They are produced by several groups such as Nitrofurazone, Furaltadone, Furazolidone, Nifuraldezone, Nitrofurantoin, Nifupirazine. Its use is prohibited in animal species whose products or meat are used in human food, because their metabolites remain in the food linked to proteins.

Regulatory Status:
Banned in Food in the U.S. and EU.

The US FDA Import Alert 16-129 contained 38 firms from Bangladesh(1), China(1), India(6), Indonesia(2), Malaysia(27) and Thailand(1) (6/22/16) for nitrofurans. On April 18th, 2016 the FDA made an announcement that 1/3  of shrimp and prawn shipments from Malaysia in 2015 contained the residues nitrofurans and/or chloramphenicol.

Since 2002, the European Union equivalent to FDA Import Alerts, RASSF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed), has had over 800 notifications for nitrofurans in food and feed.