Nitrosamines are organic compounds with a chemical structure R2N-N=O (Figure 1), where R is usually an alkyl group. These substances are commonly found in food and the environment. Low levels of nitrosamines have been found in a wide array of pharmaceuticals. The acceptable intake (AI) values for many nitrosamines have been published by the regulatory agencies. Many of these are unworkable and have led to recalls of some products (Health-Canada 2023b).

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