Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Mar 30;104(5):2551-2560.
doi: 10.1002/jsfa.13102. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

N-Nitrosamines: a potential hazard in processed meat products

Gülsüm Deveci  1 , Nilüfer Acar Tek  1
Affiliations
Review

N-Nitrosamines: a potential hazard in processed meat products

Gülsüm Deveci et al. J Sci Food Agric. .

Abstract

Nitrite, nitrate, and their salts are added to processed meat products to improve color, flavor, and shelf life and to lower the microbial burden. N-Nitrosamine compounds are formed when nitrosing agents (such as secondary nitrosamines) in meat products interact with nitrites and nitrates that have been added to the meat. With the consumption of such meat products, nitrosation reactions occur in the human body and N-nitrosamine formation occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the benefits nitrites and nitrates have on food, their tendency to create nitrosamines and an increase in the body's nitrous amine load presents health risks. The inclusion of nitrosamine compounds in possible and probable carcinogen classes according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer requires a re-examination of the literature review on processed meat products. This article evaluates the connections between various cancer types and nitrosamines found in processed meat products. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Keywords: N-nitrosamines; cancer types; nitrate; nitrite; processed meat products.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Toldrá F and Reig M, Innovations for healthier processed meats. Trends Food Sci Technol 22:517-522 (2011).
    1. Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, El Ghissassi F, Benbrahim-Tallaa L et al., Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Lancet Oncol 16:1599-1600 (2015).
    1. Majou D and Christieans S, Mechanisms of the bactericidal effects of nitrate and nitrite in cured meats. Meat Sci 145:273-284 (2018).
    1. Türk Gıda Kodeksi, Et, Hazırlanmış Et Karışımları ve Et Ürünleri Tebliği.
    1. Kuyumcu A and Yurttagül M, Ankara Piyasasında Satılan Salam, Sucuk ve Sosislerin Nem, Yağ, Tuz, Kül ve Kalıntı Nitrat, Nitrit Miktarlarının Tayini Üzerine Bir Araştırma. Beslenme ve Diyet Dergisi 29:14-24 (2000).

LinkOut - more resources