E251 — Sodium nitrate
E251 (Sodium nitrate) appears in the ingredient lists of 811 products sold in the United States. Function: preservative.
Nutri-Score
694 rated products
Median values
| Calories | 298 kcal |
| Sugars | 1.8 g |
| Saturated fat | 7.1 g |
| Salt | 2.0 g |
Categories
Status in the United States (FDA)
Listed in the FDA inventory “Substances Added to Food”, with the regulations 21 CFR 172.170, 172.175, 173.310.
Technical effects listed by the FDA: antimicrobial agent, color or coloring adjunct, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, propellant
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 7631-99-4 via Wikidata (CC0)
Products containing it, by country
Products listing this additive in each country edition of Shelfpedia (Open Food Facts data)
| Country | Products |
|---|---|
| United States | 811 |
| France | 353 |
| Netherlands | 297 |
| United Kingdom | 194 |
| Belgium | 148 |
| Germany | 125 |
| Norway | 50 |
| Italy | 42 |
| Spain | 41 |
| Brazil | 35 |
| Ireland | 28 |
| Australia | 24 |
| Mexico | 24 |
| Sweden | 22 |
| Switzerland | 19 |
| Chile | 16 |
| Bulgaria | 14 |
| Canada | 14 |
| South Africa | 7 |
| Argentina | 6 |
| Portugal | 6 |
Products
811 products, most viewed first · page 1 of 17.
Source: Open Food Facts export of 23 October 2026, ODbL, and USDA FoodData Central, April 2026 release, CC0 · Shelfpedia calculations (medians, distributions).