Estimation of Nitrate Contents in Sixteen Varieties of Libyan Dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and Their Potential Health Risks

Background: Dates play an essential role in the Libyan diet, particularly during Ramadan. As a result, there is considerable emphasis on ensuring that these dates are free from contaminants, especially nitrates, which are prevalent pollutants in food items. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the nitrate contents and the potential health risks associated with their consumption by adults and teenagers in various date varieties commonly consumed in Libya. Methods: A total of sixteen date varieties, mainly gathered from southern Libya, were tested. The findings reveal that the average nitrate content in the date samples ranged between 498.66±135.35 mg/kg in the Tafsert variety and 1147.02±287.97 mg/kg in the Tagayat variety. To determine the potential health risks and safety of these dates, we assessed the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and Hazard Quotient (HQ). Result: The results indicate that the EDI, ADI and HQ values remained below the thresholds established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The EDI for nitrates was observed to range from 0.34 to 0.77 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day for adults and from 0.45 to 1.04 mg/kg bw/day for teenagers, while the acceptable limit is defined at 3.70 mg/kg bw/day. However, the findings also suggest that teenagers are more susceptible to nitrate levels in dates than adults. Therefore, the amount of dates consumed does not represent a risk to consumers. Additionally, the calculated HQ values for adults and teenagers varied from 0.21 to 0.48 and from 0.28 to 0.65, respectively. Since these HQ values are below 1, they indicate a low level of health risk for consumers.