E249 - Potassium nitrite
Synonyms: E249Potassium nitrite
Origin:
Products: Found in 4 products
Potassium nitrite (E249) is a curing salt used in very small amounts to preserve certain meats and fish. It helps keep dangerous bacteria from growing and gives cured products their familiar pink color and flavor. In the European Union (EU) it is an approved food additive with strict purity and use limits.
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At a glance
- What it is: The potassium salt of nitrous acid, used as a preservative and curing agent in meats.
- What it does: Inhibits harmful bacteria (notably Clostridium botulinum), stabilizes cured color, and supports cured flavor.
- Where it’s found: Traditionally cured meats (for example, some hams, bacon, sausages) and certain cured fish.
- Label names: “Potassium nitrite” or “E249” (EU labeling).
- Related additives: Sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate.
Why is Potassium nitrite added to food?
Potassium nitrite is added to cured meats because nitrite suppresses the growth of dangerous bacteria, especially Clostridium botulinum, the organism that produces botulinum toxin. It also reacts with meat pigments to set the stable pink “cured” color and contributes to characteristic cured flavors.1
In many cured meats, nitrite is used together with antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, or sodium erythorbate to control unwanted by‑products and help the curing reaction proceed efficiently.2
What foods contain Potassium nitrite?
In the EU, nitrites (E249–E250) are permitted mainly in meat products and certain fish products, with category-by-category maximum levels laid down in law. Typical examples include some cured hams, bacon, cooked cured sausages, and brined fish products.3
Outside the EU, rules can differ by country. Where permitted, nitrite is used only in very small, regulated amounts.
What can replace Potassium nitrite?
There is no perfect one-to-one substitute for nitrite’s combined safety, color, and flavor roles in traditional cured meats. Depending on the product, makers may use:
- Nitrate salts like sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate, which certain starter cultures convert to nitrite during curing.4
- “Natural” sources (for example, cultured celery ingredients) that generate nitrite during processing; these still supply nitrite, just from a different source.4
- Other preservatives such as sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, or sodium benzoate in foods where they are effective and allowed. These do not reproduce cured color/flavor.
- Process controls (“hurdles”) like salt, refrigeration, pH control, and packaging atmosphere to achieve safety without or with less nitrite, depending on the product style.
How is Potassium nitrite made?
Potassium nitrite is the potassium salt of nitrous acid (chemical formula KNO2). It can be produced by partially reducing potassium nitrate or by neutralizing nitrous acid with potassium hydroxide, followed by purification for food use.5 Food-grade material must also meet official EU purity criteria that set limits on contaminants and define assay and identification tests.6
Is Potassium nitrite safe to eat?
Regulators set strict maximum levels in foods and acceptable daily intake (ADI) values to keep exposure within safe bounds. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established an ADI of 0.07 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for nitrite ion, covering both potassium nitrite (E249) and sodium nitrite.1 In the EU, permitted foods and maximum nitrite levels are listed in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.3
Because nitrite can form nitrosamines under certain conditions, processors control time, temperature, and formulation. In the United States, for example, cured meat rules require the use of ascorbate or erythorbate with nitrite in bacon to suppress nitrosamine formation, and set strict limits on curing levels.2
Does Potassium nitrite have any benefits?
When used correctly, nitrite helps prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum in cured meats and contributes to shelf life and food safety. It also stabilizes the appealing pink color and typical flavor that many consumers expect from cured products.1
Who should avoid Potassium nitrite?
- Infants are more sensitive to nitrite’s effects on blood oxygen transport (methemoglobinemia) than older children and adults. Caregivers should follow age‑appropriate feeding guidance and avoid giving infants foods not intended for them.7
- Anyone with a medically prescribed restriction on nitrites/nitrates or on potassium intake should seek advice from a healthcare professional.
- People who prefer to avoid nitrite-cured products can choose uncured or nitrite‑free styles where available, understanding that flavor, color, and shelf life may differ.
Myths & facts
- “Natural celery curing is nitrite‑free.” Myth. Celery and similar ingredients can supply nitrate/nitrite via fermentation; the nitrite works the same way in curing.4
- “Nitrite and nitrate are the same thing.” Not quite. Nitrate (NO3–) can be converted to nitrite (NO2–) by bacteria during curing; nitrite is the active curing agent.
- “Nitrite always forms harmful nitrosamines.” Not when properly controlled. Formulation (for example, adding ascorbate/erythorbate) and processing rules greatly limit nitrosamine formation in regulated cured meats.2
Potassium nitrite in branded foods
On ingredient lists, look for “potassium nitrite” or the short form “E249” (on EU labels). You’ll most often see it on traditionally cured meats and some cured fish products. Similar products may instead use sodium nitrite or nitrate sources such as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate.
References
Footnotes
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Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4786 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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9 CFR § 424.21 — Use of food ingredients and sources of radiation (curing agents; nitrosamine control) — USDA/FSIS eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-9/subchapter-E/part-424/section-424.21 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (Union list; nitrite uses and limits) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩ ↩2
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FSIS Directive 7120.1 — Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products — USDA/FSIS. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/7120.1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Potassium nitrite — PubChem Compound Summary (identity and preparation) — NIH. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Potassium-nitrite ↩
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Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives (E 249) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩
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Nitrate and Nitrite ToxFAQs — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR/CDC). https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts204.pdf ↩
Popular Questions
How many grams of potassium nitrite are present in 1.48 moles?
Approximately 126 g, using KNO2 molar mass ≈85.1 g/mol (1.48 mol × 85.1 g/mol).
How many grams of potassium nitrite exist in 143 ml of a 2.80 m solution?
If 2.80 M (mol/L) was intended, about 34.1 g (0.143 L × 2.80 mol/L × 85.1 g/mol); if 2.80 m (mol/kg solvent), you need the solvent mass or solution density to determine grams.
How many moles of potassium nitrite kno3 are present in a sample with a mass of 85.2g.?
KNO2 and KNO3 are different: 85.2 g is about 1.00 mol of KNO2 (M≈85.1 g/mol) or about 0.843 mol of KNO3 (M≈101.1 g/mol)—clarify which compound you have.
How to balance potassium nitrite?
Balance equations by equalizing K, N, and O atoms on both sides; for example, the oxidation is 2 KNO2 + O2 → 2 KNO3, which is balanced as written.
How to make a storm glass without potassium nitrite or ammonium chloride?
Use a salt‑free formulation: dissolve camphor in ethanol and add distilled water (e.g., ~10 g camphor in 40 mL ethanol plus ~35–40 mL water), seal tightly; it will form temperature‑responsive crystals, but it’s not a true weather predictor and avoids toxic nitrite salts.
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