N-NITROSAMINES IN NITRITE-CURED CHICKEN-SEAL SALAMI

The effect of inclusion of mechanically separated seal meat (MSSM) and seal protein hydrolyzate (SPH) on the formation of N-nitrosamines in chicken salami was investigated. Inclusion of MSSM (10 or 20%) or SPH (1 or 2%) in salami had little effect on the formation of N-nitrosodim ethylamine (NDMA) in the products. While the control sample contained 0.33 mu g/kg NDMA, other samples contained 0.37 to 0.52 mu g/kg of NDM A. Smoking of the samples resulted in small but an insignificant diffe rence in the content of NDMA in the products. Some products contained traces of N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N-nitrosomorph oline, which were perhaps formed from interaction of amines in spice m ixes with nitrite. Boiling, microwaving and frying had little effect o n the content of N-nitrosamines; fried products contained up to 0.79 m u g/kg NDMA.