Determination of Nitrate and Nitrite in Meat Products

Overview

Objectives/Goals To determine the levels of nitrate and nitrite in six different meat products by ion chromatography. Methods/Materials The six meat samples namely, ham, chicken hotdog, salami, pepperoni, bologna, and beef franks were analyzed. The samples were homogenized in water, centrifuged at a high speed, and filtered through two acrodisc filters. Then the nitrate and nitrite contents were determined by ion chromatography using the Dionex DX-600 Chromatography system with a UV detector. Results The levels of nitrate and nitrite were calculated in mg/Kg. Three seperate runs were carried out for each of the six meat samples and then the average was calculated for each meat sample. The results showed that salami had the highest level of total nitrate + nitrite (143.92 mg/Kg). Pepperoni had the lowest level of total nitrate + nitrite (43.98 mg/Kg). The six meat samples were ranked from highest to lowest levels of total nitrate + nitrite as follows: salami, bologna, ham, chicken hotdog, beef franks, and pepperoni. The USDA approved level for total nitrate + nitrite is 200 mg/Kg. Conclusions/Discussion There was a large variation in the levels of nitrate and nitrite in various meat samples. Salami had more than three times the total amount of nitrate + nitrite than pepperoni. Since nitrite is a carcinogen and nitrate can convert into nitrite after digestion, the consumption of meat products that have high levels of total nitrate + nitrite should be done with caution.

Competition history

• CSEF 2002 Chemistry · Entry J0503

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