Foods containing nitrate and nitrite

Nitrate and nitrite can occur both naturally in a food product and be added as a preservative (E 251, E 252, E 249 and E 250) or as a plant extract. Nitrate and nitrite have been linked to both positive and negative health effects. No records of nitrate- and nitrite-containing foods on the Norwegian market exist, and the intake of nitrate and nitrite among different population groups in Norway is unknown.

The overall purpose of the present mapping of dietary sources of nitrates and nitrites was to create a database with food items on the Norwegian market containing nitrates and/or nitrites, an overview of European occurrence data for these food items, and an overview of the intake of these food items among Norwegian adults. This mapping is the first part of a risk assessment of nitrate and nitrite in the Norwegian diet.

Food items containing nitrate and/or nitrite includes beverages, butter, margarine and oils, composite dishes, fish, fruit, grains and grain products, infant food, legumes, meat, milk and milk products, potatoes, salt and spices, and vegetables. There are large differences in the amount of nitrate and nitrite found among the different food groups, and also among different food items within a food group. The overview also shows for which food groups occurrence data are lacking. VKM will use this overview to estimate the nitrate and nitrite exposure from foods for different groups in the Norwegian population and assess whether this constitutes a health risk.

Members of the Panel for Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids, Materials in Contact with Food, and Cosmetics have assessed and approved the overview.