Nitrates, Nitrites and Nitrosamines from Processed Meat Intake and ColorectalCancer Risk
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics - Year 2017, Vol 3, Issue 4
Abstract
The International Agency for Research on Cancer reported that eating processed meat can increase a person’s risk for colorectal cancer and classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans. Nitrate and nitrite are used as additives to improve food quality and protect against microbial contamination and are sources of N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) which are known carcinogens. This review outlines the association between processed meat intake and colorectal cancer risk and discusses the use of nitrates and nitrites in processed meat as well as healthier alternatives. A wide range of factors affect the formation of NOCs including the amount of nitrite added, meat quality, fat content, processing, maturation and handling at home. Factors related to processing include additives, precursors (added via wood smoke, spices or other ingredients), heat applied during drying or smoking, storage/maturation conditions and packaging. NOC formation can be inhibited by the addition of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol ingredients which are often added to processed meats. Studies have shown that plant polyphenols and alpha-tocopherol significantly decreased pH, lipid oxidation and residual nitrite content of processed meat. Plant polyphenols, especially green tea polyphenols can be used as alternatives to nitrates and nitrites to process meat improving the quality, shelf life and safety of processed meat products. These innovative meat products could potentially contribute to a reduction in cancer risk by means of nitrite reduction and phytochemical addition and should be explored further.
Authors and Affiliations
Marie Cantwell, Chris Elliott
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP303699
- DOI 10.4172/2472-1921.100062
- Views 57
- Downloads 0
Nutritional Protocol for Asthma
Asthma is characterized by hypersensitivity of the bronchioles, leading to bronchospasm, oedema of the mucosa and increased secretion of mucous, usually more viscous. This leads to a deficiency in ventilation. There are...
Hidden Sugar in Food: A Risk for Health
Several web pages and journals have been lately published news on hidden sugar in foods, sometimes in an extensively descriptive form, sometimes applying scientific concepts [1-4]. Also, interesting web pages show graphi...
Consumption of Broccoli Sprouts Attenuates Intracellular P38 Map Kinase and Reactive Oxygen Species Pro-Inflammatory Activation in Human Leukocytes: A Randomised- Controlled Trial
Dietary consumption of green vegetables has a protective association with reduction in cardiovascular diseases. The thiocyanate compound sulforaphane, which is obtained from green vegetables, induces antioxidant genes an...
Iron Overload Effect on Serum Levels of Glucose, Insulin and HOMA-IR was Ifluenced by the Type of Fat in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed High-Fat-Diets
Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effect of iron supplementation on serum levels of glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR, and to examine the histological iron deposition in tissue in female Sprague-Dawley rats f...
A Questionnaire-Based Survey on Food Safety Knowledge during Food-Handling and Food Preparation Practices among University Students
The objective of the study was to assess the level of food safety handling knowledge and practices among university students and to explore the association between their knowledge/practices and the socio-demographic and...