Exposure to nitrites from meat products as food additives among adolescents in Poland

Nitrites should be limited in the diet because their potential carcinogenic effects. However, the addition of nitrites is essential to maintain the microbiological safety of meat products, mainly to protect them from bacteria Clostridium botulinum and to preserve the pink colour of meat products and to give them desirable organoleptic properties. Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for nitrite (expressed as nitrite ion) established by EFSA is 0.07 mg per kilogram of body weight per day (mg kg^-1 day^-1), equivalent to 0.1 mg kg^-1 day^-1 of sodium nitrite.

The aim of this study was the assessment of sodium nitrite intake in meat products and exposure to this compound in Polish adolescents.

The analysis of sodium nitrite intake with selected meat products by young Poles was based on consumption data of these products by adolescents aged 11-17 in 2019-2020 and analytical data on the actual content of sodium nitrite in meat products provided by laboratories of sanitary and epidemiological stations in 2017 and 2018 (4 voivodships).

The intake of sodium nitrite by adolescents aged 11-17 years in total, both the mean (0.063 mg kg^-1 day^-1) and the median (0.050 mg kg^-1 day^-1) did not exceed ADI. On the other hand, the intake of sodium nitrite at the 95th percentile (P95) was 195% of the ADI, and the highest intake was found in young boys - 200% of the ADI.

The average intake of sodium nitrite from meat products by Polish adolescents was generally lower than ADI. However, there was observed potential risk of excessive intake for some boys and girls who had a high consumption of meat products.