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Sodium nitrite

CAS 32863-15-3 · 70/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 5 other CAS numbers

56227-20-4 · 82497-43-6 · 82998-40-1 · 1992765-27-1 · 7632-00-0

Sodium nitrite chemical structure

Concern score

70/100High concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Sodium nitrite in plain language

What it is

Also known as Nitrous acid soda · Sodium salt nitrous acid · Anti-rust · Azotyn sodowy · Dusitan sodny · Erinitrit

Show all 25 names

Filmerine · Ins NO.250 · INS-250 · NCI-C02084 · NaNO2 · Natrium nitrit · Natriumnitrit · Nitrite de sodium · Nitrito sodico · Nitrous acid sodium salt (1:1) · Sodium nitrite (USP) · Synfat 1004 · corrosion inhibitor · nitrito de sodio · sodium nitrite (sara iii) · sodium nitrite (cercla) · Natrum nitrosum · Nithiodote component sodium nitrite · Natrii nitris

What it does

Used in cosmetics as an anticorrosive.

  • Anticorrosive
  • Colour retention agent, preservative
  • Antioxidant
  • Preservative
  • Colourant
  • pH adjuster
Is it a concern?
High concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is restricted in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

Sodium nitrite is restricted in cosmetic products under Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.

RestrictedEU EC — restricted

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.

  • In marketed US drugs
  • EU Annex III — restricted
  • EU restricted in cosmetics

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Industrial

  • EUEC

    Annex III of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances which cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down. Product types: Rust inhibitor Maximum concentration: 0.2% Other conditions: Not to be used with secondary and/or tertiary amines or other substances forming nitrosamines

    restricted
    View source →
  • EUCosIngActive2 entries
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinionRe-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives (EFSA ANS)
    • Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives (EFSA ANS)Source →
  • GLOBALJECFA0-0.06 mg/kg bwJECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-0.06 mg/kg bw. Functional class: colour retention agent, preservative.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-0.06 mg/kg bw. Functional class: colour retention agent, preservative.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 914 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Cleaning products and household care, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Corrosion inhibitor, Pharmaceutical, Food preservative.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 914 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Cleaning products and household care, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Corrosion inhibitor, Pharmaceutical, Food preservative.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 4 active drug products and 4 total products.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 4 active drug products and 4 total products.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

  • EFSA

    European Food Safety Authority

    • Re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives (EFSA ANS)

      2017 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-0.06 mg/kg bw. Functional class: colour retention agent, preservative.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Sodium nitrite yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →

  • EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes

    regulatory · updated 2010-10-17

    Open →

  • EFSA OpenFoodTox

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated october 23, 2019

    Open →

  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →

  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2026-12-31

    Open →

  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →

  • WHO JECFA Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →

  • PubChem Live Enrichment

    chemistry · updated 2026-05-17

    Open →
Reference links (1)
Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Sodium nitrite in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

914

Named organisations

6

Home maintenanceCleaning products and household careCleaning and safetyPersonal careIndustrial productsRaw materials

Typical roles

AnticorrosiveColour retention agent, preservativeAntioxidantPreservativeColourantpH adjuster
See products using Sodium nitrite →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Sodium nitrite; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 79 →Find products without it →