Factors Affecting the Nitrate Content of Vegetable and Fruit Foods

The nitrate contents of a number of canned foods, baby foods frozen foods and vegetables were determined. Spinach, beets'and several fruits were found to generally have the highest nitrate content. Nitrate was partially transferred to the liquid nortion of foods consisting of a solid immersed in liquid and was also transferred to blanching water. The rate of transfer of nitrate from solid to liquid varied for different foods and different plant parts. Nitrate was not lost during cooking but nitrate reductase activity was quickly destroyed by cooking. The use of nitrate fertilizers on soil markedly increased nitrate content of plants growing in that soil.