Development and validation of a UPLC-PDA method for simultaneous nitrate and nitrite determination in vegetable, fruit and meat-based baby foods

Abstract

With a notable rise in the consumption of commercial baby foods in recent years, there is a pressing need for a rapid and efficient method to analyze the levels of nitrate and nitrite in these products. In the present study, we have successfully developed, validated, and applied a UPLC-PDA method for the quantification of nitrate and nitrite in various samples. This method involves an extraction procedure, followed by a straightforward derivatization step using sulfanilamide for nitrite determination. After derivatization, nitrate was directly quantified based on its corresponding peak, and nitrite was determined through its derivative response. The validation process demonstrated good linearity and specificity over a range of 25–400 mg/kg, along with satisfactory precision, accuracy, and excellent recoveries. Furthermore, the detection and quantification limits were found to be very satisfactory. The effectiveness of the method was confirmed through the analysis of various matrices, showcasing its rapidity, and reliability.