Nitrites, nitrates andN-nitrosoamines in Estonian cured meat products: Intake by Estonian children and adolescents

Abstract

The contents of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitrosoamines in commercial cured meat products on the Estonian market were determined for 2000–01 and 2003–04 as part of the Estonian food safety monitoring programme and the Estonian Science Foundation grant research activities. The maximum permitted levels of residual nitrites and nitrates were not exceeded in the samples analysed. However, a great variation in the content of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitrosoamines was found for all the products. The concentrations of these compounds in domestic cured meat products showed a decrease from year to year. The mean intake of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitrosoamines by Estonian children (n = 346) from cured meat products was calculated on the basis of individual intake data. The mean daily intake of nitrates was 1.7 mg, that of nitrites was 0.83 mg and that of N-nitrosoamines was 0.073 µg. In the 2000–01 study, the calculated nitrite intake exceeded the acceptable daily intake by up to 140% for 1–6-year-old children and up to 105% in 2003–04.