Legal Framework Updated

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

By Liezhou Zhong
Updated June 8, 2026

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

EU

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).

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2023 - 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).

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Old regulations (No longer in force)

EC No 194/97 (1997), EC No 563/2002 (2002), EC No 1881/2006 (2006), EC No 1258/2011.

DK

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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US

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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CN

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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AU/NZ

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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JP

Japan

Food Sanitation Act

The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation Food sanitation act. Standards for use of food additives (2021)

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CA

Canada

Food and Drug Regulations

The Department of Justice Canada Food and drug regulations C.R.C., c. 870 (2021)

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COD

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.

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Drinking Water Legislation

Bottled water may be regulated as food products

WHO

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.

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EU

European 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.

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US

United 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−.

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CA

Canada

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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AU

Australia

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.

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NZ

New 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.

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UK

United 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.

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Featured Government Reports

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

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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UK The Environment and Climate Change Committee

Nitrogen: time to reduce, recycle, reuse

2nd Report of Session 2024-25 - published 24 July 2025 - HL Paper 161; 2025

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FR
French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES)

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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European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Multiple Scientific Opinions

Scientific Opinion on the risk assessment of N-nitrosamines in food

EFSA Journal 2023; 21(3):7884, 278 pp.

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Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250)

EFSA Journal 2017; 15(6):4786, 157 pp.

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Re-evaluation of sodium nitrate (E 251) and potassium nitrate (E 252)

EFSA Journal 2017; 15(6):4787, 123 pp.

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Risk assessment of nitrate and nitrite in feed

EFSA Journal 2020;18(11):6290, 110 pp.

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Scientific risk assessment on nitrate in vegetables

The EFSA Journal (2008) 689, 1–79.

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Health risks for infants from nitrates in leafy vegetables

EFSA Journal 2010; 8(12):1935. [42 pp.]

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Cite 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
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