Nitrosamines: a real health concern

In recent years, the primary concern for human safety has arisen from the presence of nitrosamines found in variety of products spanning pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, foods and food supplements. Nitrosamines are organic chemical substances that form under specific conditions when a nitrosating agent reacts with amino-based substances. The term “nitrosamine” describes a class of compounds with a chemical structure of a nitroso group bonded to an amine (R1N(-R2)-N=O). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies these reaction products as probable human carcinogens due to their highly mutagenic and genotoxic potential, as evidence in several animal studies.