Environmental and technological carrot safety conditions. Part I. Changes in the content of nitrates determined by the environment and processing

Abstract The aim of the research was to define changes in the content of NO3¯ determined by the environment and processing in products from five cultivars of carrot, orange in colour. Besides this, in the research, the human intake of toxic compounds found in processed foods was also assayed. All the processed foods were produced at laboratory scale compliant with the applicable guidelines and norms. The content of nitrates in processed foods depended significantly on the genetic conditions of material and on the processing method. Of all the cultivars under study, ‘Karotan’ was least applicable to processing since, irrespective of the processing method, the lowest decrease in nitrates was reported for that cultivar. The consumption of processed foods from the cultivars of carrot studied is not hazardous to consumer health, since the value of the ADI in adult, Acceptable Daily Intake, is not exceeded.