[Survey on the nitrate-nitrite content of various dairy products]

The laboratories charged with dairy product control have had to determine the nitrates and nitrites especially for the examination of products in view of export. The use of nitrates is prohibited in France. Some E.E.C. countries however authorize its use in cheese-making. The L.C.H.A. has carried for the last several years a systematic analysis of samples received for other studies in order to evaluate eventual contamination. The results can not be considered as representative of the whole French production, as they are samples from different composition and origins. The following have been examined during 1979: 729 dried milks (92,6% less than 30 mg/kg), 209 whey powders (56,5% less than 50 mg/kg), 133 milking feeds (82,7% less than 40 mg/kg), 1 039 cheeses (81,8% less than 5 mg/kg). The greater part of these analyses were realized by a Technicon autoanalyseur I and by manual cadmium reducing methods.