NITRATE DETERMINATION IN FOODSTUFFS

The objective of the project was to improve methodology for nitrate determination in foodstuffs through intercomparison and to prepare certified reference materials (CRM). A first intercomparison on orange juice materials (blank and spiked) and beetroot juice involving high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques, cadmium reduction methods and enzymatic kits have shown the differences between methods were not significant, the relative coefficient of variation being less than 10%. A reference material consisting of freeze dried lettuce powder is being prepared.