Sodium nitrite

E number E250INS 250CAS 7632-00-0

Used as a preservative — Codex also lists it as colour retention agent.

Sodium nitrite is a curing agent for meat, giving cured products their pink colour and characteristic flavour while suppressing Clostridium botulinum. It is used in bacon, ham, hot dogs and many preserved sausages.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Sodium nitrite by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.175retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

2 food categories

highest permitted level 80 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 08.2.2 Heat-treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts — 80 mg/kg
  • 08.3 Processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products — 80 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 250and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Manufactured industrially by absorbing nitrogen oxides, produced from ammonia, into sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide solution. Curing salts sold to processors are usually a dilute mixture of sodium nitrite in ordinary salt, dyed pink so it cannot be mistaken for it. No animal material is involved.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
7632-00-0
InChIKey
LPXPTNMVRIOKMN-UHFFFAOYSA-M
PubChem
CID 23668193

Every name it appears under

61 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E250

INS number

  • 250

CAS registry number

  • 7632-00-0

As it appears in regulation

  • Sodium nitrite

Other names

  • 0.1M Sodium nitrite (naturally short expiry)
  • Acidified sodium nitrite (ASN)
  • Anti-rust
  • Azotyn sodowy
  • Caswell No. 782
  • CCRIS 559
  • Dusitan sodny
  • E 250
  • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 076204
  • Erinitrit
  • Filmerine
  • HSDB 757
  • INS NO.250
  • INS-250
  • NaNO2
  • Natrii nitris
  • Natrium nitrit
  • natrium nitrite
  • Natrum nitrosum
  • NITHIODOTE COMPONENT SODIUM NITRITE
  • Nitrite de sodium
  • Nitrite, sodium
  • Nitrito sodico
  • Nitrous acid soda
  • Nitrous acid, sodium salt
  • Nitrous acid, sodium salt (1:1)
  • NNaO2
  • Reagecon Nitrite (Sodium Nitrite) 100 microg/mL Stock Solution in Water according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP)
  • Reagecon Sodium Nitrite 0.1M according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP)
  • Ribavirin Impurity 5
  • sodium nitrit
  • Sodium nitrite
  • Sodium nitrite (USP)
  • Sodium Nitrite 1000ppm As N
  • Sodium nitrite ACS grade
  • Sodium nitrite, 99.5%, super free-flowing
  • Sodium nitrite, 99.999% trace metals basis
  • Sodium nitrite, >=99.99% trace metals basis
  • Sodium nitrite, ACS reagent, >=97.0%
  • Sodium nitrite, analytical standard
  • Sodium nitrite, anhydrous, free-flowing, Redi-Dri(TM), ACS reagent, >=97%
  • Sodium nitrite, AR, >=98%
  • Sodium nitrite, granular, 99.5%
  • Sodium nitrite, JIS special grade, >=98.5%
  • Sodium nitrite, LR, >=98%
  • Sodium nitrite, p.a., ACS reagent, 99%
  • Sodium nitrite, puriss. p.a., ACS reagent, >=99.0% (RT)
  • Sodium nitrite, puriss. p.a., ACS reagent, reag. Ph. Eur., >=99%
  • Sodium nitrite, purum p.a., >=98.0% (RT)
  • Sodium nitrite, ReagentPlus(R), >=99.0%
  • Sodium nitrite, SAJ first grade, >=97.0%
  • Sodium nitrite, Trace metals grade
  • Sodium nitrite, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
  • Sodium Nitrite-18O2 (10% 16O2)
  • sodiumnitrite
  • Synfat 1004

Systematic names

  • sodium nitrite

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI0.1 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSA ANS2017

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/sodium-nitrite.json