To improve food for everyone, it's time to support our work by making a donation to the Open Food Facts non-profit association ! ❤

Open Food Facts gathers information and data on food products from around the world.

Add a product

Sign in

Sign-in to add or edit products.

Not registered yet? Create your account.

Donate to support our work

Donate to Open Food Facts

Open Food Facts is made by a non-profit association, independent from the industry. It is made for all, by all, and it is funded by all. You can support our work by donating to Open Food Facts and also by using the Lilo search engine.
Thank you!

E251 - Sodium nitrate

Additives: E251 - Sodium nitrate

Functions: Preservative

Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula NaNO3. This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Chile saltpeter -because large deposits of this salt can be found in Chile- to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. The mineral form is also known as nitratine, nitratite or soda niter. Sodium nitrate is a white solid very soluble in water. It is a readily available source of the nitrate anion -NO3−-, which is useful in several reactions carried out on industrial scales for the production of fertilizers, pyrotechnics and smoke bombs, glass and pottery enamels, food preservatives -esp. meats-, and solid rocket propellant. It has been mined extensively for these purposes. - Wikipedia

Risk of overexposure

EFSA evaluation: Re‐evaluation of sodium nitrate -E 251- and potassium nitrate -E 252- as food additives (2017/06/15)

High risk of over exposure
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that some population groups have a high risk of consuming too much E251 - Sodium nitrate.

To evaluate your exposure to the E251 - Sodium nitrate food additive, you can browse our list of products that contain it. See the list of products with E251 - Sodium nitrate below.

  InfantsToddlersChildrenAdolescentsAdultsElderly
  < 11 to 23 to 910 to 1718 to 6465+
Most people
(over 50%)		 Groups with more than 50% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 50% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)   
Some people
(over 5%)		Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)Groups with more than 5% of members exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)

Risk of exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI) : Risk of exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)

- World