Nitrofurans are antibacterials banned in livestock by different countries due to its relationship with the production of carcinogenic metabolites. Several studies have been conducted to find the best methodology to identify these residues. The objectives of this review work were to show the risk of nitrofuran metabolites (furazolidone; nitrofurazone; nitrofurantoin, furaltadone and nifursol); to explain the application of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to determine the presence of these residues in foods of animal origin; and, finally, to report some methodologies that were recently used in different foods of animal origin