NITROSAMINES IN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Abstract
A limited survey was carried out to determine the nitrosamine content of several varieties of alcoholic beverages (beer and ale, whiskey, wine, cider, etc.) sold in Canada. Of 22 samples of different beers and ales analyzed all but one contained traces of dimethylnitrosamine; the overall mean level found was 1.5 ppb. Only one Canadian rye and one Scotch whiskey out of a total of 13 samples contained traces of either dimethylnitrosamine or diethylnitrosamine. All the 8 wines and 7 cider samples were negative.