Global Legislation on Nitrates and Nitrites
Comprehensive overview of international regulations, safety standards, and legal frameworks governing nitrate and nitrite usage across food systems and water supplies
Regulatory Landscape
The regulation of nitrates and nitrites varies significantly across different jurisdictions, reflecting diverse approaches to food safety, environmental protection, and public health. This comprehensive overview examines the current legal frameworks governing these compounds worldwide.
Food Legislation
European Union
2023 - Repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006
European Commission. (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 (Text with EEA relevance).
View Full Document2023 - Updated limits on food products of animal origin
European Commission. (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2108 of 6 October 2023 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards food additives nitrites (E 249-250) and nitrates (E 251-252).
View Full DocumentOld regulations (No longer in force)
EC No 194/97 (1997), EC No 563/2002 (2002), EC No 1881/2006 (2006), EC No 1258/2011.
Denmark
Food Additives Legislation
Legislation on food additives (of which nitrite is regulated along with other food chemicals, enzymes and preservatives) "Bekendtgørelse om tilsætninger mv. til fødevarer og om straffebestemmelser for overtrædelse af relaterede EU-retsakter (BEK nr 474 af 09/05/2023)"
View Full DocumentUnited States
Code of Federal Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Volume 3, Subchapter B - food for Human Consumption (continued), Part 172 - food additives permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption (2020) 1CFR172.170
View Full DocumentChina
National Food Safety Standard
National Health and Family Planning Commission of the PRC Food safety national standard food additive standard; national food safety standard, No. GB:2760-2024; 28 Feb 2024, China Bureau of Scientific Standards, Standards Press of, Beijing, China (2024) China/National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
View Full DocumentAustralia and New Zealand
Food Standards Code
Australia New Zealand Food Authority Australia New Zealand food Standards code: Standard 1.3.1—Food additives
View Full DocumentJapan
Food Sanitation Act
The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation Food sanitation act. Standards for use of food additives (2021)
View Full DocumentCanada
Food and Drug Regulations
The Department of Justice Canada Food and drug regulations C.R.C., c. 870 (2021)
View Full DocumentCodex Alimentarius Commission
International food standards being reviewed and updated.
Drinking Water Legislation
Bottled water may be regulated as food products
World Health Organization
Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edition, incorporating the 1st addendum. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.
View Full DocumentEuropean Union
EU water quality legislation currently being reviewed.
United States
EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in water for nitrates and nitrites.
View Full DocumentFeatured Government Reports
Ingested Nitrate and Nitrite, and Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxins
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 94. 2010
Access Report
Nitrogen: time to reduce, recycle, reuse
2nd Report of Session 2024-25 - published 24 July 2025 - HL Paper 161; 2025
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Multiple Scientific Opinions
Scientific Opinion on the risk assessment of N-nitrosamines in food
EFSA Journal 2023; 21(3):7884, 278 pp.
View ReportRe-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250)
EFSA Journal 2017; 15(6):4786, 157 pp.
View ReportRe-evaluation of sodium nitrate (E 251) and potassium nitrate (E 252)
EFSA Journal 2017; 15(6):4787, 123 pp.
View ReportHealth risks for infants from nitrates in leafy vegetables
EFSA Journal 2010; 8(12):1935. [42 pp.]
View ReportCite this page
Zhong, L., Hodgson, J. M., Lewis, J. R., Blekkenhorst, L. C., Bondonno, N. P., Sim, M., Woodman, R. J., & Bondonno, C. P. (2025). Nitrate and nitrite food composition database: An update and extensive deep dive. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 121(5), 1124-1136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.01.031