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View Full DocumentOld regulations (No longer in force)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.
United Kingdom
Great Britain: food additives
Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, as amended. Applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Current permitted uses and limits for nitrites (E 249-250) and nitrates (E 251-252) are listed in the GB authorisations register.
View GB Food Additives Legislation View GB Authorisations RegisterGreat Britain: nitrate contaminants
Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, as amended. Sets maximum nitrate levels for specified vegetables and infant foods in England, Scotland and Wales.
View GB Contaminants LegislationNorthern Ireland
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/2108, governs nitrate and nitrite additives. Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets nitrate contaminant limits. Eligible GB retail goods supplied through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme follow UK public health standards.
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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)"
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United 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
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China
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).
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Australia and New Zealand
Food Standards Code
Australia New Zealand Food Authority Australia New Zealand food Standards code: Standard 1.3.1—Food additives
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Japan
Food Sanitation Act
The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation Food sanitation act. Standards for use of food additives (2021)
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Canada
Food and Drug Regulations
The Department of Justice Canada Food and drug regulations C.R.C., c. 870 (2021)
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Hong Kong
Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap. 132BD)
Regulates nitrate and nitrite preservatives through permitted food uses and maximum levels. The 2024 amendment took effect on 30 December 2024, with a transition period ending on 29 December 2026. Consult the Centre for Food Safety's updated user guidelines for the applicable food categories and transitional arrangements.
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Singapore
Food Regulations: Regulation 19 and Fourth Schedule
Regulation 19 classifies sodium and potassium nitrites and nitrates as Class II chemical preservatives. Part I of the Fourth Schedule specifies the foods in which they are permitted and their maximum amounts; permissions depend on the food category.
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India
Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011
FSSAI regulates food additives under these regulations, as amended. Chapter 3 and Appendix A provide the provisions for preservatives, including nitrates and nitrites, and permitted uses by food category. The linked compendium is a reference compilation; original Gazette notifications and amendments prevail.
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Saudi Arabia
SFDA.FD 2500: Additives Permitted for Use in Food Stuffs
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority identifies SFDA.FD 2500 as the technical regulation for permitted food additives. It is the reference for checking nitrate and nitrite permissions and limits in specific foods. The linked SFDA guidance identifies the regulation; consult the current standard for detailed provisions.
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Brazil
ANVISA RDC 778/2023 and IN 211/2023
Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) sets the general framework for food additives in RDC 778/2023. IN 211/2023, as amended, lists authorised uses, maximum levels, and conditions by food category, including nitrate and nitrite preservatives. Consult the applicable category and notes for limits and how they are expressed.
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Codex Alimentarius Commission
General Standard for Food Additives
Codex Alimentarius General Standard for Food Additives (CXS 192-1995) and the GSFA Online database list provisions for potassium nitrite (INS 249), sodium nitrite (INS 250), sodium nitrate (INS 251), and potassium nitrate (INS 252) by food category and technological function.
Search GSFA OnlineDrinking Water Legislation
Bottled water may be regulated as food products
World Health Organization
Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
WHO guideline values include nitrate at 50 mg/L as nitrate ion and nitrite at 3 mg/L as nitrite ion. WHO also applies a combined nitrate plus nitrite approach: the sum of the ratios of each concentration to its guideline value should not exceed 1.
View Full DocumentEuropean Union
Directive (EU) 2020/2184
The EU Drinking Water Directive sets parametric values for water intended for human consumption: nitrate 50 mg/L and nitrite 0.50 mg/L. It also requires the combined condition [nitrate]/50 + [nitrite]/3 ≤ 1 and a 0.10 mg/L nitrite value ex water treatment works.
View Full DocumentUnited States
EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Primary Drinking Water Regulations set enforceable MCLs at 10 mg/L for nitrate measured as nitrogen (nitrate-N), equivalent to approximately 44.3 mg/L as NO3−, and 1 mg/L for nitrite measured as nitrogen (nitrite-N), equivalent to approximately 3.3 mg/L as NO2−.
View Full DocumentCanada
Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality
Health Canada sets maximum acceptable concentrations for drinking water at nitrate 45 mg/L, equivalent to 10 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen, and nitrite 3 mg/L, equivalent to 1 mg/L nitrite-nitrogen.
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Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
NHMRC guidance sets nitrate at 50 mg NO3/L to protect bottle-fed infants under 3 months of age; up to 100 mg NO3/L may be safely consumed by adults and children over 3 months. Nitrite should not exceed 3 mg NO2/L.
View GuidelineNew Zealand
Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand
The Water Services (Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand) Regulations 2022 set maximum acceptable values, including nitrate 50 mg/L as NO3, equivalent to 11.3 mg/L as NO3-N, and nitrite 3 mg/L as NO2, with the nitrate and nitrite sum-of-ratios condition below 1.
View RegulationsUnited Kingdom
Drinking Water Standards and Regulations
The Drinking Water Inspectorate lists UK standards for nitrate at 50 mg NO3/L and nitrite at 0.50 mg NO2/L at consumers' taps, with a nitrate/nitrite combined condition.
View StandardsFeatured Government Reports
The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study: Nitrate and Nitrite
June 2025. Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong SAR Government.
Estimates dietary exposure to nitrate and nitrite using 187 food items prepared as consumed. Includes assessments for adults and younger people aged 6-17. This is a dietary exposure study, rather than a list of permitted additive levels.
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Combined Exposure to Nitrate and Nitrite via Food and Drinking Water in the Netherlands
2020. RIVM report 2020-0003, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
Estimates combined dietary exposure for people aged 1-79, accounting for uncertainty in the conversion of nitrate to nitrite in the body. Identifies data gaps and options for reducing exposure to support risk management.
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Ingested Nitrate and Nitrite, and Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxins
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 94. 2010
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Nitrogen: time to reduce, recycle, reuse
2nd Report of Session 2024-25 - published 24 July 2025 - HL Paper 161; 2025
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Opinion on the risks associated with the consumption of nitrites and nitrates
Food Risk Assess Europe 2025; 3(2):0059E. DOI: 10.2903/fr.efsa.2025.FR-0059
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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 ReportSurvey of Nitrates and Nitrites in Food and Beverages in Australia
September 2011. Australian dietary exposure and safety assessment.
Combines nitrate and nitrite measurements in 52 foods with food consumption data to estimate dietary exposure. Assesses potential health risks from natural occurrence and food additive uses, and identifies the main foods contributing to intake.
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Total Diet Study 2012-2014
Published March 2016. Dietary exposure assessment for the Irish population.
Assesses exposure to food chemicals, including nitrate and nitrite, in adults and children. The nitrate and nitrite assessment considers natural occurrence and additive uses, and compares estimated intakes with the health-based guidance values used at the time.
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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