Dimethylamine

Dimethylamine is a simple secondary amine used in chemical synthesis, and in food safety it is significant as a precursor of dimethylnitrosamine, a carcinogenic volatile nitrosamine that can form when the amine meets nitrite under acidic conditions. This reaction pathway is one reason nitrite levels in cured meats are controlled and why amine-containing materials are screened. Environmental and industrial sources are monitored to keep this precursor away from food processing environments. Food-contact material suppliers must demonstrate that their products do not contribute amine precursors to foods.