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EFSA balances the consumer risks from nitrate in vegetables with the benefits of a balanced diet high in vegetables and fruit

EFSA’s Contaminants Panel (CONTAM) has assessed the risks and benefits to consumers from nitrates in vegetables and concluded that the beneficial effects of eating vegetables and fruit outweigh potential risk to human health from exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time to nitrate through vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy and balanced diet, and, if consumed daily in sufficient amounts, could help to reduce the risk of certain diseases. The Panel said that the average consumer eating approximately 400g of mixed vegetables and fruit per day[1]would not exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake The amount of a substance (e.g. nutrient or chemical) that is ingested by a person or animal via the diet for nitrate ( ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs)[2]. In estimating exposure, the Panel assumed that all of the 400g of fruit and vegetables eaten by consumers could potentially be vegetables which are substantially higher in nitrate content than fruit. The Panel said that a small part of the European Union population Community of humans, animals or plants from the same species (2.5%), who are high consumers of green leafy vegetables, could exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake for nitrate.

EFSA was asked by the European Commission to deliver an opinion on the risks to consumers from nitrate in vegetables and to consider the balance between health risks and benefits in order to provide an up-to-date scientific basis to support risk managers in defining future strategies on nitrate in vegetables. EFSA’s CONTAM Panel was assisted by an expert working group which also included a member of EFSA’s Panel on dietetic products, nutrition The science of how diet relates to the body's need for sustenance and allergies(NDA). Epidemiological studies do not suggest that nitrate intake from diet or drinking water is associated with increased cancer risk. However, the human body changes nitrate into compounds, such as nitrite and nitric oxide which can have possible health implications[3].

Commenting on the opinion, Josef Schlatter, chair of EFSA’s Contaminants Panel, explained: “We assessed both the risk and benefits of exposure to nitrate from vegetables and concluded that the beneficial effects of vegetables prevail.”

The main dietary sources of nitrate are vegetables, preserved meat and drinking water but vegetables and fruit can represent over half or, as much as two thirds, of all nitrate intake. Nitrate is present in most vegetables to a varying degree but the critical driver for a high dietary exposure For the purposes of risk assessment, measurement of the amount of a substance consumed by a person or animal in their diet that is intentionally added or unintentionally present (e.g. a nutrient, additive or pesticide) to nitrate is not the absolute amount of vegetables consumed but the type of vegetables (e.g. leafy vegetables) and the respective concentration of nitrate. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce and rucola have the highest nitrate content. Nitrate content of vegetables also varies in relation to other factors, such as the extent of use of nitrate fertilisers and the amount of sunlight to which vegetables are exposed (vegetables grown in North European countries tend to have higher nitrate content). According to the opinion, vegetarians and vegans who consume a high quantity of fruit and vegetables, are not considered likely to exceed the ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs, as their protein A type of molecule composed of complex strings of amino acids (protein building blocks) needs are normally covered by consumption of cereals, nuts and pulses which are low in nitrate.

Vegetables such as lettuce and spinach are already subject to EU regulation laying down maximum nitrate levels[4]. In the group of leafy vegetables, rucola has the highest levels of nitrate based on information reported from Member States. For instance, consumers eating more than 47 grams of rucola per day might already exceed the ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs without taking into account any other sources of nitrate exposure. EFSA notes that consumption of rucola at this level on a daily basis is not likely to occur over a long period of time and therefore considers that exceeding the ADI The acceptable daily intake (ADI) is an estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs on occasion would not represent a health concern.

The CONTAM Panel noted that further mitigation of nitrate intake may result from processing e.g. washing, peeling and/or cooking thus providing an extra safety margin for consumers.

[1] 400 grams is based on WHO recommendations for vegetables and fruit consumption. The Panel carried out its risk assessment A specialised field of applied science that involves reviewing scientific data and studies in order to evaluate risks associated with certain hazards. It involves four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation based on the assumption that all of the 400grams were vegetables, as is the case for some high consumers in some EU Member States.
[2] An Acceptable Daily Intake ( ADI An estimate of the amount of a substance in food or drinking water that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting an appreciable risk to health. It is usually expressed as milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight per day and applies to chemical substances such as food additives, pesticide residues and veterinary drugs) for nitrate of 3.7 mg/kg b.w./day was established by the former Scientific Committee on Food and was reconfirmed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2002. The CONTAM Panel noted that there were no new data to alter this figure. The ADI is the amount of a specific substance in food that can be ingested orally over a lifetime without an appreciable health risk.
[3] The metabolites and reaction products of nitrate, e.g. nitrite, nitric oxide and N-nitroso compounds can lead to methaemoglobinaemia (resulting in a limited oxygen supply to the blood) and have potential cancer-causing properties.
[4] Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 fixes maximum nitrate levels in spinach and lettuce. Some countries (Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) were given a temporary derogation from these levels for one or more of these two vegetables until December 2008.

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