E252 — Potassium nitrate

Status in the United States (FDA)

Listed in the FDA inventory “Substances Added to Food”, with the regulations 21 CFR 172.160.

Technical effects listed by the FDA: antimicrobial agent, color or coloring adjunct, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant

The inventory is a partial list, and a listing is not an FDA approval of every use; the regulations set the permitted uses.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Substances Added to Food (updated 9/8/2026), public domain · CAS 7757-79-1 via Wikidata (CC0)