In plain words
It is a salt that slowly turns into nitrite during long meat curing, helping to preserve and colour it. You find it mainly in dry-cured sausages, raw ham and some cheeses.
Where you find it: ham, salami, frankfurters, bacon
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E251CautionSodium nitrate
Group: Preservatives
Harm level3 of 5In moderation
Our recommendation
Limit it together with cured meats; give them to children only rarely.
Possible risks and effects
- Converts to nitrite in meat and in the body, from which nitrosamines can form.
- Excess nitrate is risky for infants (methaemoglobinaemia).
For experts
Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) acts as a reservoir: bacteria with nitrate reductase reduce it during ripening to nitrite, the actual active agent. In 2017 EFSA confirmed an ADI of 3.7 mg/kg body weight per day (as nitrate ion); most dietary nitrate comes from vegetables, where it comes with protective compounds. In 2023 the EU lowered the maximum permitted levels of nitrates in meat products.
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E211Sodium benzoateE249Potassium nitriteE250Sodium nitriteE210Benzoic acidE220Sulphur dioxideE223Sodium metabisulphiteE224Potassium metabisulphiteE252Potassium nitrateThis information is educational and based on EFSA assessments and available studies; it does not replace medical advice. With allergies, intolerances or illness, follow your doctor’s advice.