Distribution of Nitrate Content in Vegetables for Kimchi Raw Material and Changes of Nitrate Content by Salting of Chinese Cabbage and by Cooking Process of Kimchi

김치 모재료 채소의 질산염 함량 분포와 배추 염장처리 및 김치 조리방법에 따른 질산염 함량 변화

This study aims to find out the devices to minimize the amount of nitrate ingested from kimchi, the main way of vegetable intake for Koreans, and the basic data to deliver to calculate the total daily intake for Korean, investigating the year-round changes of nitrate content in vegetables for Kimche raw material, and changes of nitrate content by salting of chinese cabbage, and stewed kimchi through the use of different cooking methods. The results obtained were summarized as follow: over between 205-6655mg/kg f.w. in chinese cabbage, 480-3970mg/kg f.w. in chinese radish, 157-5820mg/kg f.w. in lettuce and 29-520mg/kg f.w. in cucumber respectively. Therefore it was strongly adviced to introduce the nitrate limit value of vegetables in Korea if the nitrate content in Kimchi should be reduced to meet the nitrate ADI(Acceptable Daily Intake, 219mg60kg b.w) of FAO.WHO, because the nitrate content in Kimchi reflects the nitrate content in vegetables. In order to keep the low nitrate content in Kimchi. it was adviced to remove the outer leaf which contains 2-3 times higher nitrate content compare to the inner leaf at the time of preparation, i.e. chinese cabbage, before the soaking treatment in salt solution for Kimchi making process. The dehydration by soaking treatment in salt solution occurred at 0.9%~4.7% in leaf midrib and more than 13%~24% in leaf blade. The nitrate content after soaking in salt solution was increased 107%~123% compared with before soaking, increasing rates of nitrate content in the outer and inner leaf midrib were higher than those in leaf blade. The increase of nitrate content in salt solution after soaking due to the dehydration of chinese cabbage by soaking treatment. The Kimchi stew(Kimchi JJige) was processed with and without animal oil, but the amount of nitrate in kimchi stew did not decrease both treatments, but it increased after the processing since the water in Kimchi stew has got low by boiling.