Joint International Conference on Long-term Experiments ...

THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLATILE N-NITROSAMINES IN FOOD-
PRODUCTS
Lucian Bara, Camelia Bara, Vasile Bara, Dana Marele
University of Oradea, Faculty of Environmental Protection
26, General Magheru Street, Oradea
ABSTRACT
A variety of food products containing nitrite were analyzed for 14 volatile N-nitrosamines
by using a method demonstrated to be sensitive to 10 ppb. A total of 121 food samples were
screened for volatile N-nitrosamine content. N-Nitrosopyrrolidine was confirmed in fried
bacon at levels up to 139 ppb. N-Dimethylnitrosamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, and Nnitrosopiperidine
were also confirmed in spice-cure mixtures at levels ranging from 50 to
2000 ppb.
INTRODUCTION
The many publications in the literature during the last years pertaining to the study of
volatile Af-nitrosamines in the environment and in food supplies attest to the concern of the
scientific community with these potent carcinogens. It has been shown that nitrosamines are
formed by the action of nitrite on secondary and tertiary amines. The widespread use of
nitrite as a preservative and color fixative, coupled with the natural occurrence of amines in
foods, prompted the surveillance of products so preserved to determine the extent of these
compounds in our food supply. The food products investigated to date include alcoholic
beverages, bacon, fish, frankfurters, ham, spinach, bologna, prepared meat products, and
meat spice-cure mixtures. This report continues the study of volatile N-nitrosamines in our
food supply. The results of the analysis of 121 samples are given.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Apparatus and Reagents: The silica gel and the solvents, methylene chloride, pentane, and
ethyl ether, were purified and tested prior to use to ensure the absence of interfering peaks.
Procedure: Fourteen compounds can be determined: N-nitroso-dimethylamine, -
methylethyl-amine, -diethylamine, -methylpropylamine, -ethyl-propylamine, -
dipropylamine, -ethylbutylamine, -propylbutylamine, -methylamylamine, -dibutylamine, -
piperidine, -pyrrolidine, -morpholine, and -diamylamine.
Briefly, the comminuted food sample is digested in methanolic potassium hydroxide
and the nitrosamines are extracted with methylene chloride in a liquid-liquid extractor,
distilled from alkaline solution, further isolated by extraction and column chromatographic
techniques, and determined by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), using a modified
thermionic detector.
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