The present work is planned to estimate the dietary intake of nitrate and nitrite
using the total diet study, the method which involves the purchase and preparation of
the cooked foodstuffs commonly used in the diet. However, it does not include food
consumed outside the home. These foodstuffs were combined into 12 groups of like
foods as follows:- Bread and cereals; poultry; meat and meat products; fish ,oil, fats,
eggs and dairy products, sugars; vegetables;potatoes; canned vegetables; fresh fruit
and fruit products; beverage and milk. Thirty samples, used in the house, from each of
the twelve foodstuffs groups were collected monthly from 3 governorates (Cairo,Giza
and Kalioubia) during the year 2001 then estimation of nitrate and nitrite in each group.
t-a The mean nitrate level in the different cited food groups was as follow: 18,8.3,67,12, 1.3,15,212,125,31,26,1.9 and 1.3 mg/kg, respectively. t-b Also,the mean nitrite level in the different cited food groups was as follow: 1.5 , 1.1 ,
5.2 , 1.3 , 1.2 , 1.0 , 3.5 , 12 , 1.8 ,2.1 , 1.1 and 1.0mg/kg, respectively.         2-    The daily average consumption of the Egyptian citizen (kg /person I day) for each
of the twelve foodstuffs groups were: 1.44, 0.032, 0.122 , 0.082 , 0.094 ,
0.137,0.303,0.100,0.003,0.073,0.01 and 0.177, respectively.         3-     The mean total nitrate intake (mg I person I day) was estimated and calculated in
the different cited 12 foodstuffs groups and the results were as follows:
25,94,0.265,8.174,0.984,0.122 ,2.055,64.2,12.5,0.093, 1.898,0.019 ,and
0.230, respectively.         4-     Also, the mean total nitrite intake (mg/person I day) was estimated and calculated
in the different cited foodstuffs groups and the results were as follows: 2.16 , 0.035 ,
0.634 , 0.106 ,0.112,0.137 , 1.060 , 1.2,0.005,0.153,0.011 and 0.177,
respectively.         5-     It was observed that there is an increase in the average total nitrate intake for the
Egyptian citizen due to the increase in the average daily consumption of some
groups of foods.         6-     It was observed that there is an increase in the average total nitrite tntake for the
Egyptian citizen due to the increase in the average daily consumption of some
groups of foods. 7- It was observed that there is an increase in the average consumption of some food
groups per person in Egypt more than the other country of the world. Consequently,
there is an increase in the quantity of nitrate and nitrite consumed, which on the
long term, may have a harmful effect on general health especially for the children in
view of the acute effect of infantile methemoglobinamia which causes oxygen
deficiency in the blood.