Additives to Avoid

Part 1: Nitrite and Nitrate

Sodium nitrite and Sodium nitrate are commonly used to preserve meat. During the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines that are present in the meat to form nitrosamines. Nitrosamines can cause cancer in a variety of animals, suggesting that they may cause cancer in humans as well (Wikipedia, 2007).

A review of all the published cohort and case-control studies from 1985-2005 found a positive association between meat and processed meat and gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer. As well, preserved fish, vegetable, and smoked food intake may be linked to gastric cancer (Jakszyn and Gonzalez, 2006).

The Cancer Prevention Coalition has warned that nitrite-containing hot dogs can be a risk factor for childhood cancer. Three separate studies from 1994 found positive links between consumption of hot dogs and developing childhood leukemia and childhood brain tumors.

How do you tell which foods to avoid? Foods such as fried bacon, meats and cheese products preserved with nitrite pickling salt, beer, smoked food, and preserved fish may contain nitrosamines. Look for nitrite-free processed meats, and wieners that have a brownish rather than a reddish color, as red wieners often have nitrites added to appear fresher.

Other food additives to avoid that will be discussed in future articles include, sulfites, olestra, BHA and BHT, and aspartame.

References:

Cancer Prevention Coalition. Hot Dogs and Nitrites. Available online from http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/food/hotdogs.htm. [Cited June 13, 2007].

Jakszyn P, Gonzalez CA. Nitrosamine and related food intake and gastric and oesophageal cancer risk: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jul 21;12(27):4296-303.Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=16865769&dopt=Abstract [Cited June 13, 2007].

Wikipedia.com. Nitrosamines. Available online from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine. [Cited June 13, 2007].