N-nitrosamines in Indian beers.

Presence of volatile N-nitrosamines in beer and other alcoholic drinks are well documented in developed countries. Analysis of 120 beer samples of various brands/batches showed positivity for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in more than 100 samples. The overall mean of 3.6 ppb of NDMA is higher than those currently found in Western countries. Since N-nitrosamines are proven carcinogens in animals at several sites it is necessary to keep their levels of exposure to as low as possible.