ABSTRACT
In 1956 nitrosamines were found to be carcinogenic in animals. Since that time considerable research attention has been paid to determine the levels of occurrence and formation of these substances in the environment and particularly in food. Volatile nitrosamines are a group of relatively nonpolar, low molecular weight nitrosamines with sufficient vapor pressure to be able to be removed from a food matrix by distillation and to be determined by gas chromatography. The nitroso compounds comprise a group of very potent mutagens and carcinogens. The presence of traces of volatile N-nitrosamines in foods has been known for a relatively long time. The level of N-nitrosamines in cured meats can be modified by choosing various preprocessing, frying, or curing methods. Ethyl carbamate was identified about 20 years ago as a constituent of wines preserved with diethyl pyrocarbonate and was later found as a by-product of fermentation in a variety of fermented foods and beverages.
