What are nitrites and nitrates?
The salts of nitrite and nitrate are commonly used for curing meat and other perishable produce.
They are also added to meat to keep it red and give flavour, while nitrates are used to prevent certain cheeses from bloating during fermentation.
Nitrate is found naturally in vegetables, with the highest concentrations occurring in leafy vegetables like spinach and lettuce.
It can also enter the food chain as an environmental contaminant in water, due to its use in intensive farming methods, livestock production and sewage discharge.
Nitrite in food (and nitrate converted to nitrite in the body) may contribute to the formation of a group of compounds known as nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic - ie, have the potential to cause cancer.
In 2015 the World Health Organisation warned there were significant increases in the risk of bowel cancer from eating processed meats such as bacon that traditionally have nitrites added as they are cured.
The current acceptable daily intake for nitrates, according to the EFSA, is 3.7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Source: EFSA
Comments
Post a Comment