Abstract
The effects of kind of vegetables and of the kind and amounts of fermented fish sauce on the formation of nitrosamine (NA) during kimchi fermentation were investigated. Kimchies made of Chinese cabbage, cucumber, and radish with fermented shrimp, anchovy and liquid sauces were fermented at 4$^{\circ}C$ for 6 weeks and the changes in the content of nitrate, nitrite, trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and NA were studied. Nitrate content in kimchies made of Chinese cabbage, cucumber, and radish increased at the initial period of fermentation, but it decreased at the later period. Nitrite was not detected at the later period of kimchi fermentation. Overall, there have not been great changes in the contents of nitrite and nitrate. However, there have been considrable changes in the contents of TMA and DMA as fermentation progressed. Only nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at the level of 0.5~10.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg was formed in three kinds of kimchies. More NDMA was formed in radish and cucumber kimchies than in Chinese cabbage kimchi. The pH was lowered faster in radish and cucumber kimchies than in Chinese cabbage kimchi. More NDMA was formed in Chinese cabbage kimchi made with fermented shrimp sauce than those with anchovy or liquid sauces. Shrimp sauce contained higher amount of DAM than anchovy and liquid sauces. The contents of NDMA tended to increase as the amount of shrimp sauce increased. The kind and amount of fermented fish sauce used for kimchi preparation may be an important factor affecting the formation of NDMA.