Estimating the nitrate content of potatoes

Abstract

Recently, ecologists, humane and veterinary doctors have been highlighting the topic of food safety. Over the past decade, much attention has been paid to the issue of a "healthy plate". With the advent of seasonal vegetables, the nitrate content of food is becoming increasingly important. The largest amount of nitrates is accumulated in plant-based foods, so the latter are the main source of nitrates in the human body. The aim of the study was to determine the nitrate content in potatoes and to compare the results with the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). The study of the vegetable safety index was carried out on the basis of the Laboratory of Veterinary and Sanitary Examination of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Poltava State Agrarian University by comparative evaluation of the samples we selected. The permissible concentrations of nitrates in fruits and vegetables are specified in the State Hygienic Rules and Regulations "Regulation of Maximum Levels of Certain Pollutants in Food Products", approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine № 368 dated 13.05.2013. For the study, we selected samples of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in the Poltava region. In early July 2022, vegetables were purchased at one of the spontaneous markets and directly at the market in Poltava. The content of nitrate ions in potatoes was experimentally recorded and their suitability for consumption was determined by this indicator. The quantitative determination of NO3 in this vegetable was carried out using a household nitrate meter Anmez Greentest. The experimental data were processed by standard methods of mathematical statistics and compared with the MPC. The concentration of nitrate ions (mg/kg) in the studied samples ranged from 100 to 3600. The average NO3 in potatoes purchased at the Poltava market was within the normal range (168.6 mg/kg). The tests revealed an excessive nitrate content in potatoes purchased from the market. The device recorded deviations in two tuber samples (340 and 3600 mg/kg). The exceedance of the MPC can be explained by the unreasonable application of mineral fertilizers on farms of different ownership.