Estimation of inorganic food additive (nitrite, nitrate, and sulfur dioxide) concentrations in foods and their daily intake based on official inspection results in Japan in fiscal year 1996

Mean concentration and daily intake of the inorganic food additives nitrite , nitrate, and sulfur dioxide were estimated based on the analysis of 15,56 9 samples of food obtained at official inspections by Japanese local govern ments in fiscal year 1996. The mean concentration of nitrite was 17.2% of t he allowable limit, and those of nitrate and sulfur dioxide were 30.9% and 14.4%, respectively. Daily intakes of these inorganic food additives per pe rson, estimated from the concentrations and daily consumption of the foods, were 1.07, 1.43, and 1.45 mg, respectively. These amounts of nitrite, nitr ate, and sulfur dioxide were 35.7%, 0.8%, and 4.1% of the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), respectively, when body weight was assumed to be 50 kg. Rat ios to ADI were similar to those based on the results of the official inspe ction in fiscal year 1994 except that nitrite intake in fiscal year 1994 wa s 10.6% of the ADI. The major reason for the increase of the calculated dai ly intake of nitrite in fiscal year 1996 was that 0.020 g/kg nitrite, corre sponding to a daily intake of 0.87 mg, was found in confectionery, a food c ategory which was not inspected in fiscal year 1994.