Time-dependent depletion of nitrite in pork/beef and chicken meat products and its effect on nitrite intake estimation

Figures & data

Figure 1. (colour online) Measured changes in nitrite content (mg NaNO₂ kg^–1) in samples of pork/beef sausage, chicken sausages and liver paté from production date to use-by date. Day 0 is the day on which a calculated initial amount of nitrite was added by the manufacturer. The beginning of the storage period is designated as day 1. The storage temperature was 2–3°C.

Table 1. Basal data used in the scenario calculations (see Table 2). The nitrite levels are taken from data points representing samples analysed or extrapolated from adjacent data points.

Type of product	Timeline	As NaNO2 (mg kg^−1)	As NO2^– (mg kg^−1)
Pork/beef sausage	At commercial formulation	120	80
	At half the accepted storage time	30	20
	At use-by date	22	15
Chicken sausage	At commercial formulation	115	77
	At half the accepted storage time	63	42
	At use-by date	52	35

Table 2. Intake scenarios for nitrite ion in 4-year-old Swedish children based on a Swedish consumption survey (Enghardt Barbieri et al. 2003).

Factor (%) converting dietary nitrate to nitrite	At commercial formulation	At half the accepted storage time	At use-by date
Pork/beef sausage (median/95th percentile)
0	0.15/0.46	0.04/0.12	0.03/0.08
5	0.19/0.51	0.08/0.17	0.07/0.14
20	0.31/0.69	0.19/0.39	0.18/0.37
Chicken sausage (median/95th percentile)
0	0.14/0.44	0.08/0.24	0.06/0.20
5	0.18/0.49	0.12/0.29	0.11/0.25
20	0.31/0.67	0.24/0.48	0.23/0.44

Note: In the scenarios, reported consumption of all processed meat products was assigned the nitrite levels found in pork/beef or chicken sausages in this study. Italic entries indicate the intake exceeding the ADI for nitrite (0.07 mg kg^–1 b.w.) (see the Materials and methods for further information).

Figure 2. (colour online) Total nitrite exposure in children in the youngest consumer group (4 years), including intake from cured meat products and 5% conversion of nitrate in other foodstuffs to nitrite.

Enghardt Barbieri H, Pearson M, Becker W Riksmaten – barn. 2003. Livsmedels- och näringsstatus bland barn i Sverige. Livsmedelsverket, Uppsala (Sweden): Ord & Form.

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