Compounds responsible for causing cancer have been identified in foods

With each passing day, being aware of the foods being ingested is very important. Recently, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) published a study in which it realized that there are carcinogenic chemical compounds in foods. The alert was given and she emphasized that this situation causes a lot of risk to the population. See below for more details on the subject.

Care is needed in the choice of food.

The study took place in the European Union and states that 10 types were found in some foods of nitrosamines considered carcinogenic, that is, factors that increase the risks for the development of a cancer. In addition, genotoxic nitrosamines have also been found, and they can cause some DNA damage.

The researchers said exposure to nitrosamines is a problem for all age groups. In the case of animals, the most critical effect is the incidence of hepatic tumors (in the liver).

Did the study serve only on the European continent?

Even though the survey was carried out in the European Union, the agency warned that the general population should be aware, as the Nitrosamines have been found in common foods such as salami, ham, processed fish, cocoa, beer and other alcoholic beverages.

The food group that suffers most from exposure is meat and its derivatives, but the EFSA says that, in other foods such as processed vegetables, cereals, milk and dairy products, you can also find nitrosamines.

After all, what are nitrosamines?

They are molecules that can be created from chemical reactions involving amines and nitrites. They are even widely used for food preservation, especially meat. This transformation can occur during the manufacture of food or also in the stomach.

In a study done on mice, some were fed processed pork meat containing 15% nitrite and the rest a version without the compound. The animals in the first group developed 70% more cancer in the intestinal tract when compared to those that did not ingest the nitrites.