title: Flow injection analysis of nitrate and nitrite in commercial baby foods.
abstract: Commercial baby foods are an easy alternative to home-made meals especially for working parents in a nuclear family therefore it is imperative to determine the nitrate and nitrite content in commercially available baby foods varieties marketed in Fiji. A total of 108 baby food samples were analyzed for nitrate and nitrite using our standardized flow injection analysis (FIA) technique with colorimetric detection technique employing sulfanilamide and N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride as color reagents where the samples throughput was 38 h(-1). The commercial baby food varieties chosen comprised of vegetables, cereals, fruits and milk. The study shows that the nitrate content of the baby foods studied ranges from 2.10 to 220.67 mg kg(-1) whereas the nitrite content ranges from 0.44 to 3.67 mg kg(-1). Typical recoveries of spiked nitrate residues ranged from 92% to 106%. The study shows that the average nitrate content of commercially available baby foods in Fiji descends below the maximum level proposed by the European Union Legislation.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, The University of the South Pacific, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji; School of Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Technology, Fiji National University, Box 7222, Nasinu, Fiji.
authors.forename: Adrian A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chetty
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, The University of the South Pacific, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji. Electronic address: prasad_su@usp.ac.fj.
authors.forename: Surendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry; D017022:Flow Injection Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites
keywords: Commercial baby foods; Flow injection analysis; Nitrate in baby foods; Nitrate in foods; Nitrite in foods