Procedures are described for the use of high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography with a chemiluminescence detector in the analysis of N-nitrosoamino acids, N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, N-nitroso-oxazolidine-4-carboxylic acids and N-nitroso dipeptides N-terminal in N-nitrosoproline in cured meat products. The detection limit is around 5-10 micrograms/kg. Evidence is presented for the presence of all these species except the N-nitrosated dipeptides.

Bacon has been cooked in air and in nitrogen atmospheres and the effect on the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosopyrrolidine has been studied. Under nitrogen, reductions of 50%-90% were obtained in the concentrations of both nitrosamines in the cooking vapour. The results are discussed in terms of the likely role of nitric oxide in nitrosamine formation in cooking bacon.