Nitrosamines in foods

The functions of nitrite and the formation of volatile N-nitrosamines in food systems and their toxicity have been well... 

In the last fifteen years there has been considerable interest in the analysis of volatile N-nitrosamines in foods. The primary focus has been on meat cured with nitrite (3 ) although nitrosamines have been shown to occur occasionally in other foods such as fish and cheese (, 3) Recently, attention has been directed to volatile nitrosamines in beer and other alcoholic beverages. The purpose of this paper is to review current information on the presence of nitrosamines in beer, and to discuss work done in our laboratory and elsewhere on the mode of formation of nitrosamines in beer. 

Egan, H. Preussmann, R. Walker, E.A. Castegnaro, M. Wasserman, A.E. Eds. "Environmental Carcinogens Selected Methods of Analysis Vol. 1 - Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in Food." lARC Scientific Publications No. 18. International Agency for Research on Cancer Lyon, 1978. Walker, E.A. Griciute, L. Castegnaro, M. Borzsonyi, M., Eds. "N-Nitroso Compounds Analysis Formation and Occurrence" lARC Scientific Publications No. 31. International Agency for Research on Cancer Lyon, 1980. Hedler, L. Schurr, C. Marquadt, P. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 1979, 681-684. 

A review of the literature shows that alkaline conditions have often been used in the isolation and analysis of nitrosamines in food stuffs and in other natural samples (19,20). We considered it possible that these conditions which involve digestion of the sample with alcoholic hydroxides could produce fragmentation... 

Vol. 1. Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in Food (IARC Scientific Publications No. 18). 

Vol. 1. Analysis of Volatile Nitrosamines in Food (lARC Scientific Pubhcations No. 18). Edited by R. Preussmann, M. Castegnaro, E.A. Walker A.E. Wasserman (1978)... 

VIII. APPLICATION OF HPLC TO THE DETERMINATION OF NITROSAMINES IN FOODS... 

R.A. Scanlan. Chemilumnescence for measurements of N-nitrosamines in foods, in Analysis of Food Contaminants (Ed. by John Gilbert). Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London, 321 (1984). 

Based on animal studies, A-nitrosamines are compounds with proven carcinogenic effect. The search for sources and reduction of human exposure to their action is now one of the most important research problems. Currently, a major problem is the presence of A-nitrosamines and their precursors in food. Determination of A-nitrosamines in food relies on isolating these compounds by vacuum distillation in a basic medium, in the presence of liquid paraffin, followed by extraction with dichloromethane, pre-concentration of the sample, and analysis using GC. A thermal energy analyzer coupled to a gas chromatograph can serve as an efficient detector for these compounds. 

MARSDEN J and PESSELMAN R, Nitrosamines in food-contact netting Regulatory and analytical challenges , Food Technology, 1993 47(3) 131-134. 

As mentioned in Section 7.16, many A-nitrosamines are potent carcinogens found in some food and tobacco smoke. Nitrosamines in food are formed in the same way they are formed in the laboratory reaction of a 2° amine viith the nitrosonium ion, formed from nitrous acid (HNO2). Mechanism 25.3 is shown for the conversion of dimethylamine [(CH3)2NH] to A -nitrosodimeth-ylamine [(CHj)2NN=0]. 

The most common route of exposure is by oral ingestion of nitrosamines in food. It has been estimated that the general population consumes approximately 0.1 (ig of nitrosamines per day in their diet. Nitrosamines can be found in foods preserved with nitrates as well as in untreated foods such as mushrooms, alcoholic beverages, smoked fish, bacon. 

While the major route of exposure for the general population is through the consumption of nitrosamines in food, the total dose consumed by cigarette smokers is considerably larger. It has been estimated that cigarette smokers may inhale up to 17 pg of nitrosamines per day. 

Poirier S, G Hubert, de-The H et al. 1987. Occurrence of volatile nitrosamines in food samples collected in three high-risk areas for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. lARC Sci Publ 84 415-419. 

Scanlan RA. 1983. Formation and Occurrence of Nitrosamines in Food. Cancer Res. (Suppl.) 43 2435S-2440S. 

The July 1977 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education contains an article entitled "Formation of Nitrosamines in Food and in the Digestive System."... 

Gas flames generate NO2 > which can form both the carcinogenic nitropyrenes (12.15) and the potently carcinogenic nitrosamines in food cooked in gas ovens, such as fish. It seems likely that food cooked in gas ovens may be a major source of dietary nitrosamines and nitropyrenes. 

Estimates of daily exposures to PAHs and A-nitrosamines in foods, beverages, and other factors have been made by numerous investigators. Estimates of exposures to A-heterocyclic amines are limited. Part of the reason is the difference in time span since the particular class of compounds was found to be tumorigenic and/or mutagenic Exposures to PAHs tumorigenic in laboratory animal bioassays have been studied for more than seven decades (since the... 

Craddock, V.M. Nitrosamines, food and cancer Assessment Eood Chem. Toxicol. 28 (1990) 63-66. Crosby, N.T., J.K. Eoreman, J.E. Palframan, and P. Sawyer Estimation of steam-volatile A-nitrosamines in foods at the 1 pg/kg level Nature 238 (1972) 342-343. Cross, C.K. and K.D. Bharucha A simple screening method for determination of volatile nitrosamines in fried bacon rasher and cook-out fat J. Agr. Eood Chem. 27 (1979) 1358-1360. 

A152. Sen, N.P., S. Seaman, and M. McPherson Further studies on the occurrence of volatile and nonvolatile nitrosamines in foods in A-Nitroso compounds Analysis, 26A169. formation and occurrence, edited by E.A. Walker, L. 

Spiegelhalder, B., G. Eisenbrand, and R. Preussmann Volatile nitrosamines in food Oncology 37 (1980) 211-216. 

Hotchkiss, J. H., 1981, Analytical methodology for sample preparation, detection, quantitation, and confirmation of N-nitrosamines in foods, J. Assoc. Offic Anal. Chem., 64 1037. 

Spiegelhalder, B., Eisenbrand, G., Preussmann, R., 1980, Volatile nitrosamines in food. Oncology 37 211. 

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