Occurrence and infant exposure assessment of nitrates in baby foods marketed in the region of Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract

Commercial baby food labelled as from organic or conventional origin, including vegetable-based baby foods, fruit purees and fruit juices (n¼80), were analysed for nitrate content by an in-house validated HPLC method. Nitrate contents ranged from 5 to 230 mgkg 1 with a mean concentration of 102 mgkg 1 for vegetable-based baby foods, and a median of 5mg kg 1 for both fruit purees and juices. One sample of vegetable-based baby food was higher than the legislated value (200 mgkg 1). There were no significant differences between average nitrate levels in analysed samples regarding both farming systems. The estimated nitrate intake through baby foods for a mean nitrate concentration of 47mg kg 1 ranged between 0.5 (15% of ADI) and 1.3 mg kg 1 bw day 1 (35% of ADI). The ADI level was exceeded (107–146% of ADI) only for the 95th and 99th percentiles of nitrate concentration.