Potassium nitrate
E252
E252, INS 252, potassium nitrate, saltpetre, saltpeter, nitrate of potash, nitrato potásico, nitrate de potassium, Kaliumnitrat, nitrato di potassio
What it is
Potassium nitrate, E252, is saltpetre. It is a preservative used in cured meats, hams and some cheeses. During curing it turns into nitrite, and nitrite is what stops the bacterium that causes botulism from growing, and what keeps cured meat pink instead of grey.
Why BOTIA flags it
Under some conditions that nitrite can react with other compounds in the food to form N-nitroso compounds. In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, which followed 105,000 people for years, the women who consumed the most potassium nitrate had more breast cancer diagnoses than those who consumed the least. The finding is about nitrate added as a preservative, not about the nitrate naturally present in vegetables.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E252, potassium nitrate and saltpetre when they are declared on the label.
- Explain its use in cured foods and show the Woman and E-number information layers.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine from the ingredient list how much E252 was added, how much remains after curing, or how much N-nitroso compound formed.
- Determine from the ingredient list whether a person’s intake corresponds to the higher-intake group studied in NutriNet-Santé.