Ethyl carbamate

Ethyl carbamate is naturally present in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages such as bread, soy sauce, yoghurt, wine, beer and spirits, particularly stone fruit brandies. A number of precursors present in foods and beverages such as hydrocyanic acid, urea and ethanol can lead to the formation of ethyl carbamate during food processing and storage. Ethyl carbamate is genotoxic and carcinogenic in animals and probably carcinogenic in humans.