Presence of N-nitrosamines in canned liver patty.

The presence of N-nitrosamines was determined in samples of industrially manufactured liver patty stored at different temperatures for a variable period of time. Sample preparation included steam distillation and extraction of redistilled samples with dichlormethane. The extracts were analyzed by a gas chromatography--mass spectrometry system (GC-MS-SIM). Study results expressed as total N-nitrosamines, including methylethyl-, diethyl- and dibutyl-N-nitrosamines, ranged from 0.0008 to 2.997 mg/kg, which significantly exceeded the recommended value of 0.002 mg/kg. The increase in the formation of N-nitrosamines was directly dependent on the length and temperature of product storage.