Nitrate and Nitrite Contents of Baby Foods

Year 2012, Volume: 10 Issue: 4, 11 - 18, 01.12.2012

Özgül Özdestan Ali Üren

Abstract

Nitrate and nitrite are undesired compounds in foods. Nitrate ion is not directly toxic but it can readily be converted to harmful nitrite ion by microbial reduction. Nitrite can interact with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin by oxidation of ferrous iron Fe+2 to the ferric state Fe+3 , a condition described as methemoglobinemia that is dangerous, especially in infants, and it is called as blue-baby syndrome. There have been a limited number of studies about nitrate and nitrite content of baby foods in literature. In this study, nitrate and nitrite analyses were made in 20 vegetable and fruitbased baby foods sold in Izmir, Turkey. Nitrate concentrations of baby foods changed from 3.32 to 99.73 mg/kg. Nitrite concentrations of baby foods changed from non-detectable values to 30.09 mg/kg. The results indicated that nitrate contents were all below the legislated value 200 mg/kg

Keywords

Blue-baby syndrome, Nitrate, Nitrite, Baby food

Bebek Mamalarının Nitrat ve Nitrit İçerikleri

Abstract

Nitrat ve nitrit gıdalarda bulunması istenmeyen bileşiklerdir. Nitrat iyonu direkt olarak toksik etkiye sahip değildir ancak mikrobiyal indirgenme ile zararlı nitrit iyonuna dönüşebilmektedir. Nitrit hemoglobin ile interaksiyona girmekte, Fe+2oksidasyon ile Fe+3’e dönüşmekte, ‘methemoglobin’ meydana gelmektedir. Bu olay “methemoglobinemia” olarak adlandırılmaktadır, Çocuklar için tehlikelidir ve “mavi bebek sendromu” olarak bilinmektedir. Literatürde bebek mamalarında nitrat ve nitritin belirlenmesi ile ilgili az sayıda çalışma mevcuttur. Bu çalışmada, İzmir’de marketlerde satılan sebze ve meyve bazlı 20 farklı bebek mamasında nitrat ve nitrit analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bebek mamalarının nitrat içeriği 3.32 ile 99.73 mg/kg arasında bulunmuştur. Bebek mamalarının nitrit içeriği ise tespit edilemeyen düzeylerden 30.09 mg/kg’a kadar değişen konsantrasyonlarda bulunmuştur. Örneklerin nitrat içeriği yasal sınır değerinin 200 mg/kg altında bulunmuştur

Keywords

Mavi bebek sendromu, Nitrat, Nitrit, Bebek maması

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