Nitrate in baby foods. Adding to the nitrate mosaic.

OBJECTIVE

To identify commercial baby food varieties high in nitrate content using ion chromatography and compare the health risk associated with the consumption of high-nitrate water and high-nitrate commercial baby food.

DESIGN

Ion chromatographic determination of nitrate concentration in a variety of commercial baby foods.

SETTING

University Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.

PATIENTS

None.

RESULTS

Commercial baby foods with nitrate levels higher than 45 ppm include mixed vegetables, bananas, carrots, garden vegetables, spinach, green beans, and beets. The amount of nitrate in one 113-g (4 oz) jar of beets, for example, is equivalent to the amount of nitrate in nearly 5.5 L of water at 45 ppm nitrate.

CONCLUSIONS

A controlled clinical trial is needed to clarify how consuming high-nitrate foods correlates with methemoglobin levels in infants younger than 6 months.