EFSA has confirmed that existing safe levels for nitrites and nitrates intentionally added to meat and other foods are undamaging for consumers.

Consumer exposure to nitrites and nitrates as food additives is within safe levels for all population groups, except for a slight exceedance in children whose diet is high in foods containing these additives. However, if all dietary sources of nitrites and nitrates are considered, the safe levels (ADIs) may be exceeded for all age groups.

Sodium and potassium salts of nitrite and nitrate (E 249-252) are authorised as food additives in the EU. They are used in meat, fish and cheese products to hinder microbial growth, in particular to protect against botulism, as well as to keep meat red and enhance its flavour. Nitrate is also found naturally in high concentrations in certain vegetables and it can enter the food chain as an environmental contaminant – mainly in water.

Prof Maged Younes, member of EFSAs panel on food additives and nutrient sources added to food, and chair of the working group tasked with the re-evaluation, says, "We re-assessed the safety of nitrites and nitrates added to food as part of EFSAs re-evaluation programme of all food additives authorised in the EU before 2009. based on the available evidence, we concluded that there was no need to change previously set safe levels for either substance."

The current acceptable daily intake (ADI) for nitrates is 3.7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg bw/day). The safe level for nitrites was re-established at 0.07 mg/kg bw/day, close to the slightly more conservative existing ADI of 0.06 mg/kg bw/day.

Professor Younes says, "Further studies would be useful on nitrate-nitrite conversion in human saliva and the resulting methaemoglobin formation, on nitrosamine formation in food products to which nitrites have been added, as well as on additional epidemiological evidence in humans.

"Better data on exposure to nitrites/nitrates from other food sources than additives (including from contaminants in vegetables) would also help to provide a more complete picture and refine future risk assessments."

EFSA has prepared a plain language summary explaining and contextualising its re-evaluation of nitrite and nitrate added to food for non-expert audiences.