Allervibe
E252
Potassium nitrate
Saltpetre, a curing salt that slowly releases nitrite in dry-cured meat and certain cheeses.
i Additive Details
| Is E252 Potassium nitrate safe?
Nitrate itself is comparatively unreactive, but the nitrite formed from it can react with amines under high heat to give nitrosamines, several of which IARC classifies as probable human carcinogens. IARC classifies processed meat as Group 1 carcinogenic to humans. Most dietary nitrate comes from vegetables such as spinach, rocket, lettuce and beetroot rather than from additives.
| Uses
Traditional in dry-cured hams, salami, corned beef and other slowly matured meats, and permitted in some hard and semi-hard cheeses, including Gouda-style types, where it prevents late blowing by Clostridium bacteria. It also appears in some brined and pickled fish. Like sodium nitrate it preserves little directly and works once reduced to nitrite.
| Interactions
Bacteria in the food, and oral bacteria after eating, reduce it to nitrite, so it feeds the same chemistry as E249 and E250. Ascorbic acid (E300) and sodium ascorbate (E301) are used in cured meat to limit nitrosamine formation. It supplies potassium rather than sodium, although the quantities permitted in food are small. Nitrates and nitrites carry separate ADIs.
| Origin
Known as saltpetre, it occurs in natural mineral deposits and was historically produced in nitre beds. The food-grade additive is manufactured, usually by reacting a potassium salt or potassium hydroxide with nitric acid or with sodium nitrate.
| Daily Intake
EFSA's 2017 re-evaluation confirmed an ADI of 3.7 mg per kg of body weight per day for the nitrate ion, shared with sodium nitrate (E251). It is separate from the much lower nitrite ADI. EFSA noted that nitrate intake from the whole diet, mostly vegetables, can exceed the ADI in some groups, while intake from additive use alone stays below it.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E213 Calcium benzoate The calcium salt of benzoic acid, a preservative for acidic foods and beverages.
- E200 Sorbic acid An organic acid used as a preservative, mainly against moulds and yeasts.
- E201 Sodium sorbate The sodium salt of sorbic acid; no longer authorised as a food additive in the EU.
- E203 Calcium sorbate The calcium salt of sorbic acid, a mould and yeast inhibitor removed from the EU authorised list in 2018.
- E249 Potassium nitrite A curing salt that, like sodium nitrite, fixes the colour of cured meat and inhibits Clostridium botulinum.
- E251 Sodium nitrate A curing salt that acts as a slow-release source of nitrite in long-cured meat and some cheeses.
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