Summary
This 1980 review examines the hypothesis that dietary nitrates, converted in vivo to nitrites, may form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds when reacting with naturally occurring secondary amines in food. The authors synthesise laboratory evidence of N-nitroso compound carcinogenicity in animal models and appraise the epidemiological literature on whether high nitrate intake is implicated in human cancer aetiology. The review represents an early systematic examination of this food-safety concern during a period of growing understanding of endogenous nitrosation risk.
Regional applicability
Conducted at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this review is grounded in United Kingdom institutional research. The findings on nitrate exposure and cancer risk mechanisms are broadly applicable to UK dietary and agricultural contexts, though the epidemiological evidence synthesis reflects primarily historical studies available in 1980 and may not capture subsequent developments in nitrate research or the role of protective factors such as vitamin C and polyphenols.
Key measures
Mechanistic pathways of N-nitroso compound formation; epidemiological associations between nitrate ingestion and cancer incidence or mortality
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews the biochemical mechanism by which dietary nitrates are converted to nitrites and react with secondary amines to form N-nitroso compounds, and synthesises epidemiological evidence on whether high nitrate ingestion is associated with human cancer risk.
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