Onderzoek naar het gehalte aan N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in vijfentwintig, overwegend buitenlandse, bieren van de Nederlandse markt

Abstract

Triggered by recent problems in Switzerland due to high NDMA-levels in foreign beer, we analysed 25 beer samples for this compound from Dutch retail outlets. Three beers were from Dutch breweries, all the other beers were imported. The method of analysis applied was a modification of SOP nr ARO/039 Revision 2. Quality assurance included replicate analyses of 7 samples and recovery experiments for 7 samples at the spiking level of 1 mug NDMA per kg of beer. Average recovery for these experiments was 89% ; range 69-103%. Mean NDMA level found for beer in this study was 0.3 mug/kg (N=25) ; range 0.02 - 1.5 mug/kg. NDMA level of four beers from this study was in excess of the Swiss legal standard for beer of 0.5 mug. NDMA per kg. These were three Mexican beers with NDMA-levels of 1.2 to 1.5 mug/kg and a German beer with an NDMA content of 0.8 mug/kg. NDMA levels found in this study for foreign beer are very similar to the NDMA levels found already in 1981 for 10 foreign beer samples.