Alternatives to the Current Use of Nitrite in Foods

Download or read book Alternatives to the Current Use of Nitrite in Foods written by Assembly of Life Sciences (U.S.). Committee on Nitrite and Alternative Curing Agents in Food and published by National Academies. This book was released on 1982 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: This first volume of a 2-volume report attempts to assess the health risks associated with overall exposure to nitrate, nitrite, and N-nitroso compounds, with emphasis on the risks from natural and supplemented nitrate and nitrite in foods and the use of nitrite as a food preservative. An evaluation was made of the toxicologic and carcinogenic significance of exposure to these chemical species and their potential health risks. A number of conclusions are developed from this evaluative report. These include: nitrate is neither carcinogenic nor mutagenic; nitrite is not a direct-acting carcinogen; most N-nitroso compounds are carcinogenic in laboratory animals, but the experimental data are of limited value in predicting their quantitative risk to humans; the nitrosation-inhibiting effects of ascorbate and other substances have been established; and, due to possible health risk in using nitrate as a curing agent, a search for alternatives should be continued. The use of nitrate and nitrite in foods and the chemistry of these materials are discussed. (wz).