Nitrate and Nitrite Contents of Baby Foods

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 bout 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).