-The Group of experts on the European authority (EFSA) food safety contaminants released a report Thursday, December 9, stipulating that the nitrate in lettuce and spinach posed no health risk for most of the children. However, experts believe that excessive consumption of lettuce and spinach with high nitrate levels may increase the risk of methaemoglobinaemia, a condition that prevents the blood to carry oxygen in the body, among children aged from 1 to 3 years.
Conducted at the request of the European Commission, this report reveals that it is better to limit consumption of spinach in children affected by bacterial gastrointestinal infections. According to the Group of experts of EFSA, these infections could accelerate the conversion of nitrate to nitrite, head of the risk of methaemoglobinaemia.
Same observation for the conservation and the preparation of these so-called “hardwood” vegetables. Conservation at room temperature, over a long period, lettuce and spinach could also increase the risk of methaemoglobinaemia. Just as the preparation of these vegetables puree.
However, a study conducted by EFSA shows that only 1% of the samples of lettuce and 5% of the samples of spinach, analyzed by the experts in 13 countries of the European Union, exceeding the current maximum nitrate levels, either the acceptable daily intake of 3, 7 mg/kg of body weight fixed by legislation European. “Next”.