Exposure assessment of nitrate and nitrite from the consumption of processed meat in Thai population

Abstract

   Nitrate and nitrite are the widespread food preservatives using in processed meat to prevent the spoilage, keep the meat red and produce the good smell. However, these chemicals can exhibit adverse effects on human health when expose to high level. This study aimed to assess the exposures of nitrate and nitrite from the consumption of processed meat that Thai people like to consume including pork sausage, chicken sausage, Chinese sausage, fermented pork and steam pork sausage (Moo yor). Nitrate and nitrite contents in food samples collected from 37 provinces of Thailand were determined. The exposure was calculated from the amounts of food consumed and the levels of the preservative contained in those foods by specific evaluated data program @RISK? (Professional v.4.5, Palisade Corporation). Risk is characterized by comparing exposure to the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The result showed that the exposures of nitrate and nitrite at average level from processed meat consumption in all aged groups of population were lower than the ADI of each preservative. The population aged 3-5.9 years had the average intake levels of nitrate and nitrite from the consumption of the processed meat higher than the other aged groups. Per capita average intakes of nitrate and nitrite in this aged group were 1.12 and 12.60 % of ADI, respectively. The high exposure at the 97.5 percentile of nitrite from chicken sausage and pork sausage were up to 36.11 and 31.17 % of ADI, respectively. Therefore, awareness building in processed meat consumption should be managed especially in the risk group (children at the age under 6 years old)