Nitrate and nitrite in homemade and industrialized cheeses commercialized in the Southern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The evaluation of nitrate and nitrite in homemade and industrialized cheese s commercialized in the southern region of Minas Gerais State, was the aim of this work. In Brazil, the use of these additives is permitted at maximum levels of 50 mg/kg. The basis of the previously validated method is the qu antitative reduction of nitrate to nitrite through cadmium column and spect rophotometric determination after nitrite diazotation with sulphanilic acid /alpha-naphtol reagent. From all samples analyzed, 38 (88,37%) showed neith er a nitrate nor nitrite detectable content; 5 samples (11,63%) presented n itrate, 4 of them being above the tolerated level and only one (2,33%) show ed detectable nitrite, however below the permissible limit. The majority of samples did not show nitrate or nitrite at detectable levels. However, tho ugh probably safe from a toxicological point of view, the results can impli cate an increased risk of bacteriological contamination.