Determination of nitrite in cheese and other dairy products

Abstract

SummaryDetails are given of a spectrophotometric method for determining nitrite in cheese and other dairy products at levels down to 0·05 μg NO2-N/g and of a spectrofluorimetric method for levels down to 0·003 μg NO2-N/g. Nitrite-N levels in cheese varied from 0·003 μg/g to 0·021 μg/g. These levels increased up to 4-fold after UV irradiation of the cheese extracts. No nitrite (< 0·003 μg/ml) could be detected in raw milk.