"Consumer exposure to nitrosamines, compounds that can form in food during preparation and processing, poses a health concern."

This is the warning made by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) after carrying out a risk assessment of these substances.

Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that are formed in some foods during their preparation. They can be present involuntarily in products such as cured meats, processed fish or beer, among others.

The European authority already published last October a preliminary report on these compounds, in which it concluded that "it is highly likely that all age groups of the population are exposed to nitrosamines above the level that would imply concern for their health". Following this preliminary analysis, EFSA opened a public consultation period for all interested parties to comment on the exposure assessment scenarios used. And after receiving the opinion of external voices on the calculation made, it has published a final document.

The agency decided to start the evaluation since it has been proven that some nitrosamines can alter DNA (so genotoxic) and cause cancer.

"Our assessment concludes that the level of exposure to nitrosamines in food poses a health concern for all age groups of the EU population," Dieter Schrenk, chair of the European body's Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain, said in a statement.

EFSA has carried out its analysis taking into account the potential harm that nitrosamines can cause in humans and animals, also studying consumer exposure.

However, the agency recognizes that data to assess dietary exposure to nitrosamines is limited and that the assessment has been largely estimated to assess the worst-case scenario of exposure. "We assumed that all nitrosamines present in food had the same potential to cause cancer in people as the more harmful nitrosamine, although this is unlikely," Schrenk said.

Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that can form in food during the preparation or processing process. According to data from the Spanish Food Safety Agency (AESAN), they can be found in foods such as cured meat products, processed fish, cocoa, beer and other alcoholic beverages.

In addition, they can also be present in processed plant products, cooked meats, cereals, milk and dairy products, fermented, brined foods and foods treated with spices.

However, EFSA recalls that there are currently some knowledge gaps on the presence of nitrosamines in certain categories of food.

To minimize exposure to these products, "balancing the diet with a greater variety of foods could help consumers reduce their nitrosamine intake."

In a previous statement from EFSA regarding the risk associated with nitrosamines, the agency clarified that to assess the presence of these genotoxic and carcinogenic substances, a calculation of the margin of exposure of consumers was carried out. This parameter is a quotient of two factors: the dose at which a mild but measurable adverse effect is first observed and the level of exposure to the substance considered. In general, a ratio above 10,000 indicates a slight concern for consumers.

"In our evaluation, we considered the incidence of liver tumors in rodents as the main detrimental effect of nitrosamine exposure. We applied the carcinogenicity of the most potent nitrosamine (N-nitrosodiethylamine or NDEA) to the other nitrosamines found in food to create the worst possible scenario."

EFSA's opinion on these risks will now be brought to the attention of the European Commission, which will discuss with the national authorities of each member state what risk management measures are necessary.

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