{
  "$schema": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/api/v1/schema.json",
  "id": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/potassium-nitrate",
  "slug": "potassium-nitrate",
  "name": "Potassium nitrate",
  "identifiers": {
    "e_number": "E252",
    "ins_number": "252",
    "cas_number": "7757-79-1",
    "inchikey": "FGIUAXJPYTZDNR-UHFFFAOYSA-N",
    "pubchem_cid": 24434
  },
  "functional_class": "Preservative",
  "summary": "Potassium nitrate, historically called saltpetre, is used in slow-cured meats and some cheeses, where it is gradually reduced to nitrite.",
  "derivation_summary": "Mined or manufactured by neutralising nitric acid with potassium. It is the oldest of the curing salts, in use long before its mechanism was understood.",
  "regulatory_status": [
    {
      "jurisdiction": "US",
      "jurisdiction_name": "United States",
      "authority": "Food and Drug Administration",
      "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
      "status_label": "Permitted, with conditions",
      "provision_count": 1,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": null,
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": null,
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": null,
          "citation": {
            "ref": "21 CFR 172.160",
            "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.160"
          },
          "source": "ecfr",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T18:25:51.549Z"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "CODEX",
      "jurisdiction_name": "Codex Alimentarius",
      "authority": "Codex Alimentarius Commission / JECFA",
      "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
      "status_label": "Permitted, with conditions",
      "provision_count": 1,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.6.2",
            "name": "Ripened cheese"
          },
          "max_level": 35,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 30, 464, XS208, XS274, XS276, XS277, XS278",
          "effective_from": "2021",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 252, food category 01.6.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "names": [
    {
      "name": "7757-79-1",
      "type": "cas",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Attitude Adult Fluoride-free-Sensitive-Spearmint",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Caswell No. 697",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "CCRIS 3667",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Collo-Bo",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dr. Sheffield Sensitive Care",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "E 252",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 076103",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "European Pharmacopoeia Reagent Conc.",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "HSDB 1227",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "INS NO.252",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "INS-252",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jason Total Protection Sensitive",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kali nitricum",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kalii nitras",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kaliumnitrat",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kiss My Face Sensitive",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kiss My Face Sensitive Fluoride-Free Whitening-Citrus Mint",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "KNO3",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Niter",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nitrate of potash",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nitre",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nitric acid potassium salt (1:1)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nitric acid, potassium salt",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate, NIST(R) RM 8568",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate (JAN/USP)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate (KNO3)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium Nitrate ACS grade",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium Nitrate Standard Solution",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate(DOT)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, 99.99% trace metals basis",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, 99.999% trace metals basis",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, ACS reagent, >=99.0%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, anhydrous, 99.99% trace metals basis",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, AR, >=99.5%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, BioUltra, >=99.5% (T)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, BioXtra, >=99.0%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, cell culture tested",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, JIS special grade, >=99.0%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, LR, >=99.5%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, NIST(R) SRM(R) 193",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, p.a., 99%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, Puratronic(R)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, ReagentPlus(R), >=99.0%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate, SAJ first grade, >=99.0%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium Nitrate, Trace metals grade 99.99%",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium standard for AAS, ready-to-use, in nitric acid",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium-nitrate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Salt peter",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Salt peter (VAN)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Saltpeter",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "saltpetre",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Schmidts",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Schmidts WONDERMINT TOOTH AND MOUTH",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sensitive Teeth",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sensitive Tooth Paste",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sensodyne (TN)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "SprinJene Natural Sensitivity and Gum",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vicknite",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "E252",
      "type": "e_number",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "252",
      "type": "ins",
      "source": "gsfa"
    },
    {
      "name": "potassium nitrate",
      "type": "iupac",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Potassium nitrate",
      "type": "label",
      "source": "ecfr"
    }
  ],
  "hazard_reference_values": [
    {
      "type": "ADI",
      "value": 3.7,
      "value_text": null,
      "unit": "mg/kg bw/day",
      "population": "consumers",
      "assessing_body": "EFSA ANS",
      "year": 2017,
      "opinion": {
        "ref": "doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4787",
        "url": "https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4787"
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "key": "ecfr",
      "name": "Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21",
      "publisher": "U.S. Government Publishing Office / National Archives",
      "licence": "Public domain",
      "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-31/title-21.xml",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T18:25:51.549Z"
    },
    {
      "key": "gsfa",
      "name": "Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CXS 192-1995)",
      "publisher": "Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO)",
      "licence": "FAO terms — non-commercial use with attribution",
      "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
    }
  ],
  "citation_policy": "Cite as: Food Additive Index, \"Potassium nitrate\", https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/potassium-nitrate. This site reports regulatory status and does not rate additives.",
  "generated_at": "2026-09-08T00:09:38.654Z"
}