Risk Assessment on Nitrate and Nitrite in Vegetables Available in Korean Diet

Abstract

Nitrate is a naturally occurring compound in plant and can be converted to nitrite in the nitrogen cycle and vice versa. Therefore, it is easy to find nitrate in plants including vegetables. Especially, it is known that high levels of nitrate found in leafy vegetables. Nitrate itself is relatively non-toxic but its metabolites and reaction products such as nitrite, nitric oxide and N-nitroso compounds, may produce adverse health effects such as methaemoglobinaemia and carcinogenesis. To execute the risk assessment of dietary nitrate and nitrite for the intake of vegetables, it is investigated that the levels of nitrate and nitrite in 23 vegetables (798 samples). The range of concentration were 0−6,719 mg/kg for nitrate and 0−1,635 mg/kg for nitrite, respectively. The Estimated daily intakes (EDI) were 0.85−1.38 mg/kg body weight/day for nitrate and 0.02−0.03 mg/kg body weight/day for nitrite by ages. We conclude that there are no health concerns for eating various vegetables since the EDI were below the Tolerable Daily Intake (3.7 mg/kg body weight/day for nitrate, 0.06 mg/kg body weight/day for nitrite) level established by WHO.

Effect of Using Vegetable Powders as Nitrite/Nitrate Sources on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Cooked Pork Products

“…The mean nitrate contents in CCP, RP, and SP were 44,077 ppm, 66,178 ppm, and 120,315 ppm, respectively, with SP showing the highest (p<0.05) nitrate content and CCP the lowest (p<0.05). These results were consistent with the trends of previous studies on fresh Chinese cabbage, radish, and spinach ( Chung et al, 2003 ; Suh et al, 2013 ). Suh et al (2013) observed that the nitrate content in Chinese cabbage, radish, and spinach collected from retail markets in Korea averaged 1,059.9 mg/kg, 1,494.0 mg/kg, and 2,123.8 mg/kg, respectively.…”

“…These results were consistent with the trends of previous studies on fresh Chinese cabbage, radish, and spinach ( Chung et al, 2003 ; Suh et al, 2013 ). Suh et al (2013) observed that the nitrate content in Chinese cabbage, radish, and spinach collected from retail markets in Korea averaged 1,059.9 mg/kg, 1,494.0 mg/kg, and 2,123.8 mg/kg, respectively. These results indicated that the nitrate concentration in vegetables was increased by the drying process in our study.…”

The nitrate content of fresh and cooked vegetables and their health-related risks

“…In this study, the highest and lowest health risks were related for spinach and bean sprouts with a daily intake of 0.235 and 0.00 mg/kg/day, respectively. Many of the vegetables used in this research were not studied, but considering that the highest health risk was related to vegetables with the highest nitrate concentrations, the lowest health risk was related to vegetables with the lowest nitrate concentrations; therefore, the health risk is directly related to the nitrate concentrations in vegetables, and the results of that study are consistent with this study [48].…”

Nitrate and nitrite content of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, dairy products, meats and processed meats

“…Correia et al in an analysis of different varieties of vegetables, found nitrite concentrations ranged 0.11-5.4 mg 100 g -1 (Correia et al, 2010); Mor et al also reported a wide range of nitrite levels in vegetables especially in lettuce (0.29-0.88 mg 100 g -1 ), spinach (0.38-1.27 mg 100 g -1 ) and radish (0.24-1.42 mg 100 g -1 ) (Mor et al, 2010). Similarly, nitrite content of different vegetables in Denmark andGermany ranged 0.015-1.10 and <0.01-1.96 mg 100 g -1 , respectively; nitrite concentration of vegetables in a survey in Korea were also reported to range from 0.01 to 63.5 mg 100 g -1(Suh et al, 2013).…”