Risk Assessment of Nitrite and Nitrate Intake from Processed Meat Products: Results from the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS)

Sotiria Kotopoulou, Antonis Zampelas and Emmanuella Magriplis ()
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Sotiria Kotopoulou: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Antonis Zampelas: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Emmanuella Magriplis: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: Long-term exposure to a high nitrite and nitrate intake through processed meat is of concern, as it has been related to adverse health effects. Individual consumption data from 2152 participants (46.7% males) in the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS) were linked with current Maximum Permitted Levels (MPLs) to calculate exposure to nitrite and nitrate from processed meat products (assessed as nitrite equivalent), evaluate potential risk and identify the major contributors. Processed meat intakes were determined by combining data from 24 h recalls and frequency of consumption reported in Food Propensity Questionnaires (FPQs). Median exposure was estimated to be within safe levels for all population groups. However, 6.6% ( n = 143) of the consumers exceeded the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of nitrite (0.07 mg/kg bw/day), of which 20.3% were children aged 0–9 years (N = 29) (15.3% of all children participants in the study, N = 190). In total, pork meat was the major contributor (41.5%), followed by turkey meat (32.7%) and sausages (23.8%), although contribution variations were found among age groups. The outcomes are of public health concern, especially exposure among children, and future research is warranted to evaluate possible associations with health effects, by using more refined occurrence data if available.

Keywords: nitric compounds; food additives; MPLs; dietary exposure; dietary intake; risk; meat consumption; processing; food group contribution; Greece (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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