Formation of Nitrosamines in a Meat Curing Mixture

Abstract

TRACE amounts of certain N-nitrosamines, well known carcinogens, in foods, especially nitrite-treated meat and fish products, have caused a great deal of concern^1–3. These compounds are usually formed from the interactions of nitrite and secondary or tertiary amines^4–5. Recent studies, however, have shown that certain naturally occurring quaternary ammonium compounds can also react with nitrite to form nitrosamines⁶. Of the known nitrosamines dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) and nitrosopyrrolidine (NPy) are the two compounds which have been most frequently found to be present in cured meat products^2,3,7,8. NPy is formed during frying of bacon but its presence in other cured meat products has not been reported.