Primary evaluation of nine volatile N-nitrosamines in raw red meat from Tianjin, China, by HS-SPME-GC-MS

Monitoring of N-nitrosamines in red meats is vital for food safety. The aim of this paper is to describe the effect of tissue selection, species and seasonal variation on the contents of nine N-nitrosamines in raw red meats obtained from Tianjin, China. Headspace solid-phase microextraction along with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for the determination of nine N-nitrosamines in the collected samples. Radar chart visualization is applied to describe the data. The results show HS-SPME-GC-MS is a simple, sensitive, precise and accurate method. The concentrations of N-nitrosodipropylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosomethylethylamine were high in almost all investigated samples and the levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine in all samples were less than 3.00 mu g/kg. The risk assessment for N-nitrosodimethylamine indicates that the potential risks posed by N-nitrosodimethylamine in raw red meats ingested by people in Tianjin, China are negligible.