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Is sodium nitrite safe? What it does in cured meat, the rules, and the evidence

Curing agent and preservative · Also known as: Sodium nitrite, E250, NaNO2, Nitrite · Reviewed Sep 19, 2026 · 14 sources

Quick answerSodium nitrite is allowed in the US, Canada and the EU as a curing agent in meats like bacon, ham and hot dogs, where it helps hold back the bacteria behind botulism and keeps cured meat pink. IARC's Group 1 classification applies to processed meat as a whole, not to sodium nitrite by itself. The EU lowered its permitted nitrite levels in a 2023 regulation, and the lower limits have applied to most meat products since 9 October 2025.

Where sodium nitrite is allowed

United States

Permitted with conditions

For meat and poultry, USDA rules allow sodium or potassium nitrite to fix colour in cured products, limited to not more than 200 ppm of nitrite (calculated as sodium nitrite) in the finished product, with bacon-specific limits (for example 120 ppm ingoing for pumped and immersion-cured bacon); nitrites may not be used in baby, junior or toddler foods. FDA separately permits sodium nitrite in smoked cured tuna (10 ppm) and in smoked cured sablefish, salmon and shad (200 ppm). [1, 2, 3]

As of 2026-09

Canada

Permitted with conditions

Health Canada's List of Permitted Preservatives allows sodium nitrite in preserved meat, poultry and meat by-products at up to 200 ppm added (calculated before smoking, cooking or fermentation), and in side bacon at up to 120 ppm. [4]

As of 2026-09

European Union

Permitted with conditions

Sodium nitrite is authorised as E 250 in meat products, and Regulation (EU) 2023/2108 lowered the maximum added amounts, with the new levels applying from 9 October 2025 for most meat products. For most heat-treated and non-heat-treated meat products the limit is now 80 mg/kg of added nitrite ion, down from 150 mg/kg expressed as sodium nitrite, with a residual limit of 45 mg/kg. The regulation gives a conversion factor of 0.67 between sodium nitrite and nitrite ion, so 80 mg/kg of nitrite ion is roughly 120 mg/kg as sodium nitrite. Traditionally cured products have their own limits. [5, 6]

As of 2026-09

What is sodium nitrite?

Sodium nitrite is a salt used in curing mixtures. EFSA notes it is used to develop and fix the colour of meat, inhibit microbial growth and develop characteristic flavours. Nitrite also forms naturally: EFSA describes the most important source as nitrate in food and water being converted to nitrite by bacteria in the mouth. It is not the same as sodium nitrate, a different compound that producers can use as a source of nitrite.

Why it's used, and where you'll find it

In cured meat, nitrite holds back microbial growth, fixes the colour and helps develop the flavour. The European Commission's 2023 regulation says, citing EFSA, that the amount of nitrite added, rather than the amount left afterwards, is what works against Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium behind botulism. It says the new limits aim to keep nitrosamine formation as low as possible while ensuring microbiological safety.

  • bacon
  • ham
  • hot dogs and sausages
  • salami and dry-cured meats
  • corned beef
  • smoked tuna, salmon and sablefish

What the research and regulators say

What IARC classified, and what it did not

IARC (Monographs Volume 114, evaluated in 2015 and published in 2018) classified the consumption of processed meat as Group 1, 'carcinogenic to humans,' based on sufficient evidence that it causes colorectal cancer. IARC says this reflects the strength of the evidence, not the size of the risk, and estimated about an 18% higher colorectal cancer risk per 50 grams eaten daily. Sodium nitrite has no separate listing in IARC's classification list. In 2010 IARC separately classified 'ingested nitrate or nitrite under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation' (nitrosamine formation in the body) as Group 2A, 'probably carcinogenic to humans.' [7, 8]

What EFSA concluded about nitrite itself

In 2017 EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 0.07 mg of nitrite ion per kg of body weight, based on nitrite's effect on methaemoglobin, a form of haemoglobin that carries oxygen poorly. It found no in vivo genotoxic potential and took into account negative animal carcinogenicity results. Exposure from the additive did not exceed that figure for the general population, except slightly in children at the highest percentile. JECFA's guideline, set in 2002, is also 0 to 0.07 (as nitrite ion) and does not apply to infants under 3 months. [9, 10]

Nitrosamines, and why the EU tightened the limits

Nitrite in food can react to form nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogens. EFSA found some evidence linking dietary nitrite to stomach cancer, and evidence linking preformed NDMA (a nitrosamine) to colorectal cancer, but could not clearly separate nitrosamines from added nitrite from those already in food. A separate 2023 EFSA opinion on carcinogenic nitrosamines in food overall concluded that the margin of exposure at high intakes is highly likely to be below 10,000 for all age groups, which raises a health concern; meat and meat products were the main contributing food category. [6, 9, 14]

Who might choose to avoid it

US rules bar nitrites in baby, junior and toddler foods. EFSA found that exposure to nitrite from the additive slightly exceeded its guideline only for children at the highest percentile. IARC said the data did not allow a conclusion about whether a safe level of red or processed meat consumption exists, so some people limit how much cured meat they eat.

How to spot it on a label

Look for sodium nitrite or E250. In the US, products made without added nitrite may be labelled 'Uncured' with the statement 'No Nitrate or Nitrite Added.' Some 'uncured' products are made with natural sources such as celery concentrate, which is high in nitrate that is converted to nitrite, so read the fine print.

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Frequently asked questions

Is sodium nitrite bad for you?

Regulators allow it in cured meat within limits; EFSA's daily guideline is 0.07 mg of nitrite ion per kg of body weight. Concerns include the methaemoglobin effect at higher intakes and nitrosamine formation.

Is sodium nitrite a carcinogen?

Not as a stand-alone substance in IARC's list. Processed meat is Group 1, and ingested nitrate or nitrite under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation is Group 2A. EFSA took into account negative animal carcinogenicity results for nitrite when setting its guideline.

Is sodium nitrite banned in Europe?

No. It is authorised as E 250 in meat products, but Regulation (EU) 2023/2108 lowered the maximum added amounts, with the new levels applying from 9 October 2025 for most meat products.

Is sodium nitrite banned in the US or Canada?

No. USDA allows nitrite in cured meat up to 200 ppm in the finished product, and FDA permits it in certain smoked cured fish. Health Canada allows up to 200 ppm added in preserved meat and poultry and 120 ppm in side bacon.

What is sodium nitrite used for in food?

It is a curing agent that helps hold back Clostridium botulinum, fixes the colour of cured meat and helps develop its flavour.

Is sodium nitrite the same as sodium nitrate or celery powder?

No. Sodium nitrate is a different compound that USDA-inspected producers can use as a source of nitrite. Celery concentrate is a nitrate-rich vegetable ingredient that, in natural curing, is combined with a nitrate-reducing starter culture or supplied with the nitrate already converted to nitrite.

Related ingredients

Sources

  1. U.S. eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) — 21 CFR 172.175 - Sodium nitrite (accessed 2026-09-19)
  2. U.S. eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) — 9 CFR 424.21 - Use of food ingredients and sources of radiation (accessed 2026-09-19)
  3. U.S. eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) — 9 CFR 424.22 - Certain other permitted uses (accessed 2026-09-19)
  4. Health Canada — 11. List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives) (accessed 2026-09-19)
  5. EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (version of 18 August 2026) (accessed 2026-09-19)
  6. EUR-Lex (European Union) — Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2108 of 6 October 2023 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards food additives nitrites (E 249-250) and nitrates (E 251-252) (accessed 2026-09-19)
  7. IARC — IARC Monographs: List of Classifications (data dated 23 July 2026) (accessed 2026-09-19)
  8. IARC — Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat (accessed 2026-09-19)
  9. EFSA — Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives (accessed 2026-09-19)
  10. WHO/FAO JECFA — Nitrite (JECFA database) (accessed 2026-09-19)
  11. U.S. eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) — 9 CFR 317.17 - Interpretation and statement of labeling policy for cured products; special labeling requirements concerning nitrate and nitrite (accessed 2026-09-19)
  12. PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — Beyond celery and starter culture: advances in natural/organic curing processes in the United States (accessed 2026-09-19)
  13. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — Petition to Clarify Labeling on Meat Processed with Non-Synthetic Nitrates and Nitrites (accessed 2026-09-19)
  14. EFSA — Risk assessment of N-nitrosamines in food (accessed 2026-09-19)

This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.