Microextraction and determination of nitrosamines in sausage and salami in Tehran market using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Nitrosamines are produced during processing of meat products from the presence of nitrite and amine compounds; these compounds are mutagenic and carcinogenic. The present study optimized and determined the level of nitrosamines in sausage and salami samples in Tehran markets using microwave-assisted extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MAE-DLLME-GC-MS), which is a fast, low-cost and precise method. The nitrosamine extraction was optimized using response surface methodology and a central composite design with 6 replications at the center point. The figures of merit of the proposed method were then evaluated. The proposed method was used to determine the nitrosamine levels in 18 samples at 3 factories of major producers of meat products in Tehran. One-way ANOVA was the statistical method used in this study. The optimum volume of extraction solvent (100 µl), disperser solvent (500 µl), salt (11%), and the pH (7.5) were obtained. The figures of merit for the proposed method under optimum conditions were in the appropriate range. The lowest and highest concentrations of nitrosamines in real samples were 0.46 and 195 ng g-1, respectively. The capability and reliability of MAE-DLLME-GC-MS as a simple and fast method for trace determination of nitrosamines in sausage and salami samples was confirmed over the results of other methods.