The Nitrate Content of Commonly Consumed Cereals in Iran

The excessive presence of nitrate in foodstuff can be potentially toxic and carcinogenic to humans. This is because about 80% of the nitrate that enters the human body comes from vegetables. Therefore, the present study determined the nitrate content in commonly consumed cereals (rice and wheat) by Iranians. A total of 42 samples of cereals were randomly collected from major grocery stores in different cities in Iran between September 22 and December 15, 2020. The methods of HPLC-UV were used to evaluate the nitrate content. The detection limit (L.O.D.) and limit of quantification (L.O.Q.) were 0.071 and 0.22 mg kg-124 , respectively. As a result, the mean nitrate level in rice samples was 50.90 mg kg-1 and in wheat was 49.90 mg kg-125 . Despite the high average levels, they were not significantly different with their standard levels. Taken together, this information could allow the establishment of a database for the quantification of nitrate exposure and its risk-benefit determination in the Iranian population.

The Nitrate Content of Commonly Consumed Cereals in Iran Keywords:

Nitrate , Cereals , Rice , Wheat