Nitrite, one of the precursors of dimethylnitrosamine, distributes widely in natural foods and also used as a color fixative in meat products. In this paper, nitrite contents in vegetables, fruits, pickles, cereals, potato, juice, cheese, ham, sausage, canned fish, products, dried small sardine, salmon roe and pollack roe were determined. In vegetables and meat one peak of nitrite content was observed in the period of storage and about 100ppm of nitrite was found in the juice of pickles.
In 10 samples of meat products, nitrite contents were under the limit restricted in the Food Hygienic Law of Japan except one sample.