title: Volatile, non-volatile and total N-nitroso compounds in bacon.
abstract: Twenty-five smoked and unsmoked fried bacon samples have been analysed by a group selective procedure to measure the concentration of apparent total N-nitroso compounds (ATNC). The levels of a range of individual N-nitroso compounds, including simple volatile N-nitrosamines, N-nitrosothiazolidines, N-nitrosamino acids and N-nitrosothiazolidine carboxylic acids have also been examined. Concentrations of ATNC varied from 430 to 6800 micrograms(N-NO)/kg with a mean of 2700 micrograms(N-NO)/kg. Protein-bound N-nitrosoproline was the most abundant compound detected in unsmoked bacon, mean 260 micrograms/kg, and on average accounted for 4% of the ATNC concentration. For smoked bacon, bound N-nitrosoproline was detected in levels of up to 890 micrograms/kg and contributed 5% to the ATNC total. The most abundant compound present in smoked bacon was N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, mean 660 micrograms/kg, and this accounted for 6% of the ATNC. N-Nitrosothiazolidine, mean 340 micrograms/kg, and 2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, mean 180 micrograms/kg, were the next most prominent compounds detected in smoked bacon. The combined sum of all the individual N-nitroso compounds measured accounted for, on average, 16% of the total ATNC. The identities of the N-nitroso compounds comprising the majority of the ATNC in bacon remain unknown.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Food Science Laboratory, Norwich, UK.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Key
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D012906:Smoke; D013552:Swine; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D012906:Smoke