Safety grading ORANGE – SOME CONCERNS
Sodium Nitrite (E250) is a preservative used mainly in processed meats such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, and sausages. Its role is to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism, and to stabilize the pink-red color of cured meats. While effective and widely used, Sodium Nitrite carries health concerns that place it in the ORANGE category – SOME CONCERNS.
Why ORANGE?
When Sodium Nitrite interacts with proteins in meat under high heat, it can form nitrosamines, compounds strongly associated with cancer risk, particularly colorectal cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans partly due to nitrite and nitrate content. High intake of nitrite-preserved meats is linked with cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and other metabolic concerns. Nevertheless, regulatory bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allow controlled use because the immediate benefits in preventing deadly botulism outweigh the risks. For these reasons, it is graded ORANGE – SOME CONCERNS.
Should You Avoid E250?
It depends on your diet and health priorities. Consuming cured meats occasionally is considered safe for most people, but regular and high consumption may increase long-term health risks. Reducing intake of nitrite-cured products and balancing with fresh, unprocessed foods is advisable. People with specific conditions (e.g., infants, those with cardiovascular issues) are more sensitive to nitrites and should be cautious.
Common Uses
- Preservation of cured meats such as bacon, ham, sausages, and hot dogs.
- Prevention of bacterial growth, especially Clostridium botulinum.
- Color stabilization in processed meat (retains pink-red cured meat appearance).
- Flavor development in smoked and cured products.
Common Names / Synonyms
- Sodium nitrite
- Preservative 250
- NaNO2
- INS 250
What is it?
Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2) is an inorganic salt, appearing as a white to slightly yellow crystalline powder. It is highly soluble in water and has strong oxidizing properties. In food technology, its key function is to inhibit microbial growth and enhance cured meat properties. Industrially, Sodium Nitrite is produced by neutralizing nitrous acid with sodium hydroxide or by reducing sodium nitrate (E251) under controlled conditions.
Its effectiveness in preventing botulism – a rare but deadly foodborne illness – is the main reason it remains permitted in food production. However, the chemical’s reactivity means it can generate harmful byproducts such as nitrosamines when exposed to heat and proteins. For this reason, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C, E300) or erythorbic acid (E316) is often added to processed meat alongside nitrites, because they reduce nitrosamine formation. This demonstrates how additives can be combined for safety improvements. Sodium Nitrite is also used in industrial applications such as corrosion inhibition, dye production, and pharmaceuticals.
Where it’s allowed (EU vs US)
In the European Union, Sodium Nitrite is permitted with strict limits in meat and fish products.
The U.S. FDA also allows its use in processed meats but sets maximum permitted concentrations. Both regions regulate its use closely to balance food safety with potential health risks.
Further Reading
2015 IARC/WHO press release (processed meat classified as carcinogenic to humans, Group 1)
Lyon, France, 26 October 2015 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has evaluated the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.
Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.
Link to official publication: https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr240_E.pdf
2010 IARC Monograph (Group 2A classification for nitrate/nitrite under nitrosation conditions)
Evaluation and Rationale
- There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of nitrate in food.
- There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of nitrate in drinkingwater.
- There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of nitrite in food.
- Nitrite in food is associated with an increased incidence of stomach cancer.
- There is inadequate evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of nitrate.
- There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of nitrite in combination with amines or amides.
- There is limited evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of nitrite per se.
Overall evaluation
Ingested nitrate or nitrite under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). There is an active endogenous nitrogen cycle in humans that involves nitrate and nitrite, which are interconvertible in vivo. Nitrosating agents that arise from nitrite under acidic gastric conditions react readily with nitrosatable compounds, especially secondary amines and amides, to generate N-nitroso compounds. These nitrosating conditions are enhanced following ingestion of additional nitrate, nitrite or nitrosatable compounds. Some of the N-nitroso compounds that could be formed in humans under these conditions are known carcinogens.
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Official link to article: https://publications.iarc.who.int/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Ingested-Nitrate-And-Nitrite-And-Cyanobacterial-Peptide-Toxins-2010