The nitrite and nitrate salts in excess are harmfull to the health. With the objective to evaluate the quality of sausages commercialized in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, PE, the residual levels of nitrite and nitrate were measured in a 54 samples of hot-dog type sausage, that had constituted, as region of origin and mark, 3 groups and 9 sub-groups: (A) the south one (A1, A2, A3); B) northeast (B1, B2, B3), both, collected in supermarkets; and, C) local industries, without marks (C1, C2, C3), in free fairs. ANOVA and Tukey tests were applied. The results showed that in 67% of the sausages from free fairs (C), (18% of total), the residual nitrite average were >150mg/kg above of the allowed maximum limit; and for nitrate value average, in 17(A), 67(B) and 83 %(C) of sausages, were >300mg/kg (max. allowed) (p< 0.05). The results had allowed to conclude that the nitrite residual and nitrate levels in sausages, represent a risk to the health of the consumers due not following to the legislation in the production and commercialization of this product.
nitrite; nitrate; sausages; legislation
