Health risk assessment of nitrite contents in commercial meat products sold in Malaysia

Nitrite is commonly used in food processing as a colourant, preservative, and antibacterial agent, which benefits the food industry. Concerns arise when nitrite degrades into nitric acid and reacts with secondary amines, producing nitrosamine compounds that are known to cause cancer. Some individuals who consume foods containing this chemical may develop methemoglobinemia. To date, there is a limited database for the nitrite content of meat products in Malaysia. Therefore, this crosssectional study was conducted to fill the gap by determining the level of nitrite in the commercial meat products sold in Malaysia and their potential health risk. A stratified random sampling was conducted by purchasing cured meat products (salami, sausage, beef burger, meatballs, and minced meat) from retail stores in Malaysia. The nitrite content of samples was determined using UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 28. Nitrite concentrations were detected in salami, sausage, beef burger, meatballs, and minced meat, with a mean value of 3.96 mg kg⁻¹, 16.04 mg kg⁻¹, 4.54 mg kg⁻¹, 4.78 mg kg⁻¹ and 3.96 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Nitrite mean concentration was used for health risk assessment, which was calculated using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) formula by USEPA. The results showed that sausage has the highest concentration of nitrite (16.04 mg kg⁻¹) among the other meat categories, but it is less than the limit set by Malaysian food legislation. For consumption of sausage, the THQ value for child was 2.78 x 10⁻² while for adult was 6.82 x 10⁻³ where THQ value for child was higher than adult. A THQ value <1 indicates that non-carcinogenic health effects are not expected to occur. Therefore, it can be concluded that processed meat products did not pose health risk to consumer. However, high consumption and long-term purchasing could cause health issues for the consumers. Thus, the study can be used as a resource to conduct similar research in the future.