India, Aug. 3 -- I still remember a typical morning in the Indian household of the 1990s, when I was a child: The day would begin with a freshly prepared breakfast, seasonal vegetables, and zero to limited processed food. Fast forward to today: packaged foods, pharmaceuticals, industrial products and global supply chains are integral to not just every meal but to everyday life. Hidden within this transformation is a group of chemicals known as nitrosamines.

Nitrosamines are a class of compounds that have been linked to potential health risks, including cancer, even at very low concentrations over long-term exposure. Formally named N-nitrosamines, these compounds get formed when amines (organic compounds, such as amino acids or proteins) ...