OCCURRENCE OF NITRATE AND NITRITE IN VEGE TABLES AND TOTAL DIETARY INTAKES

Last 31 January, the European Commission has issued the regulation 194 /97 stating the maximum acceptable nitrate concentrations in lettuce a nd spinach. The presence of nitrate in vegetables, as in water and gen erally in other food products, is a serious threat to man's health, no t so much due to its toxicity, which is low, but for the dangerous com pounds it originates in the organism (e.g. methaemoglobin, nitrosamine s). Data on occurrence of nitrate and nitrite in vegetables and on tot al dietary intakes are reviewed. Vegetables constitute the major sourc e of nitrate providing 72-94% of the average daily human dietary intak es.