Observations on the detection of dimethyl- and diethyl-nitrosamines in foods with particular reference to alcoholic beverages

Simple polarographic and gas chromatographic methods commonly used for the detection of nitrosamines in model systems have been found to be inadequate when applied to a potable spirit. Although these methods indicated the possible presence of nitrosamines in the spirit, gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry showed that compounds other than nitrosamines were responsible for the putative chromatographic peaks. After isolation by preparative gas chromatography, the compound responsible for the polarographic activity, interpreted as nitrosamine in the unconcentrated spirit, was shown to be furfural.