NITRATE AND NITRITE CONTENTS IN OGI AND THE CHANGES OCCURRING DURING STORAGE

Nitrate and nitrite, which are known to be toxic, were determined in m arket samples of ogi, a fermented maize product in Nigeria. The nitrat e and nitrite contents varied from 4.2 to 100.3 ppm (mean = 39.9 +/- 2 3.2 ppm) and from 0.027 to 0.062 ppm (mean = 0.03 +/- 0.008 ppm), resp ectively. On storage under water at room temperature over a period of 8 days, nitrate decreased by about 80% while the nitrite accumulated b y about 200% of their initial levels. Nitrate and nitrite levels in og i were below the current acceptable daily intake (ADI), but their toxi city implications are briefly discussed. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd .