4-méthylimidazole

OBS: Considéré comme étant probablement cancérigène, on retrouve ce produit lors de la fabrication de colorants caramel présents dans beaucoup d'aliments et de boissons (p. ex. boissons à base de cola, bières brunes) et à la suite du rôtissage d'aliments (p. ex. café et viande).
OBS: Il sert à fabriquer des produits pharmaceutiques, des produits pour le nettoyage, des produits utilisés en photographie et en agriculture, des teintures et des pigments, et des produits à base de caoutchouc.

CONT: 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) is a compound used to make certain pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, dyes and pigments, cleaning and agricultural chemicals, and rubber products. 4-MEI is formed during the production of certain caramel coloring agents used in many food and drink products. It may also be formed during the cooking, roasting, or other processing of some foods and beverages. ... Studies published in 2007 by the [U.S.] federal government's National Toxicology Program showed that long-term exposure to 4-MEI resulted in increases in lung cancer in male and female mice. These findings were the basis for the addition of 4-MEI to California's Proposition 65 list of carcinogens.
CONT: 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole are intermediate/starting materials or components in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, photographic and photothermographic chemicals, dyes and pigments, agricultural chemicals, and rubber. These chemicals have been identified as undesirable by-products in several foods and have been detected in mainstream and sidestream tobacco smoke. The National Cancer Institute nominated 2- and 4-methylimidazole as candidates for toxicity and carcinogenicity studies. Toxicity studies were carried out in male and female F344/N rats and ...