Risk assessment of nitrate and nitrite in food

The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) will calculate the intake of nitrate and nitrite from food for different groups in the population and assess whether this constitutes a health risk. This is a two-part task commissioned by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. As the first step, VKM has created an overview of which food items contain these substances and how much nitrate and nitrite they contain. The second part of the task is underway, where VKM will estimate nitrate and nitrite intake among different demographic groups in Norway and conduct a risk assessment.

Background

There is no existing data on which food items in the Norwegian market contain nitrate and nitrite, nor on the amounts present. Furthermore, the intake of nitrate and nitrite among different population groups in Norway is not known.

Nitrate and nitrite can occur naturally in food and may also be added as a preservative or plant extract. Preservatives E 249, E 250, E 251, and E 252 are used to delay bacterial growth, thereby increasing food shelf life. Nitrate and nitrite have been linked to both positive and negative health effects.

Read more about part 1 here: Foods containing nitrate and nitrite - Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø

The project group

Members of the VKM’s Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids, Materials in Contact with Food, and Cosmetics:

• Trine Husøy, Chair, Scientific leader of the project
• Monica Andreassen
• Ellen Bruzell
• Monica Carlsen
• Eva Marie-Louise Denison
• Tove Devold
• Berit Granum
• Camilla Svendsen

External experts:

• Annette Bernhard, Institute of Marine Research
• Maria Kalyva, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
• Marcin Wlodzimierz, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

From VKM’s Secretariat:

• Inger Therese Laugsand Lillegaard, Senior Advisor
• Gro Mathisen, Project Manager

Members of the Panel for Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids, Materials in Contact with Food, and Cosmetics will assess and approve the report from part 1 and the assessment from part 2. Part 1 was published December 11, 2024. Part 2 of the task will be published on June 3, 2026.