E-249 and E-250: The Additives in Hot Dogs and P{-15454}t{-15447}s That Doctors Advise Limiting, Even for Children

Pick up a pack of hot dogs, a tin of liver p{-15454}t{-15447} or a few slices of ham, and turn it over. Somewhere in the small print you will almost certainly find E-250 or E-249. They are among the most widely used additives in processed meat, and they are why that sausage stays rosy pink for weeks instead of turning grey within days. They are also the reason a growing number of nutritionists suggest you keep these products to an occasional treat, especially when it comes to children's lunchboxes.

One reader, a mother of two, shared how her view changed: "For years, a hot dog with mustard was my kids' favorite quick dinner, a few times a week. Then I started reading labels and saw the same E-number on almost everything in our fridge: the hot dogs, the p{-15454}t{-15447}, the ham for sandwiches. We didn't cut anything out overnight, but we swapped most of it for home-roasted chicken, eggs and bean spreads. Now hot dogs are a weekend barbecue thing, not a Tuesday thing, and honestly, nobody misses them much."

What exactly are E-249 and E-250?

The code E-249 stands for potassium nitrite, and E-250 for sodium nitrite. Both are curing salts used in p{-15454}t{-15447}s, hot dogs, sausages, ham, bacon and other cured meat products. They fix the pink color, add the typical "cured" flavor and help slow the growth of bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum. Many consumer guides list them among the additives worth limiting, and they are not permitted in foods intended for infants and young children under the EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives. Many pediatricians and nutritionists also advise that children up to around 11 years of age eat such products only rarely.

Why are nitrites under the spotlight?

The concern about nitrites has two main parts.

1. Oxygen transport in the blood. In large amounts, nitrites can convert hemoglobin into methemoglobin, a form that carries oxygen less effectively. In its re-evaluation, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) used this effect to set the acceptable daily intake for nitrite at 0.07 mg per kilogram of body weight. EFSA found that exposure from additives alone generally stayed within that limit, but the most exposed children could slightly exceed it. At normal dietary levels, symptoms such as breathlessness or dizziness are very unlikely in healthy adults. Infants are the most sensitive group, which is one reason nitrites are kept out of baby food.

2. Nitrosamines and long-term health. When cured meat is processed, cooked at high heat or digested, nitrites can help form N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines), some of which are known to be harmful. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, classified processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1). According to the WHO's questions and answers on red and processed meat, eating 50 grams of processed meat a day, roughly one hot dog or a couple of slices of ham, was associated with about an 18% higher relative risk of colorectal cancer. It is important to keep this in perspective: this is a relative increase in risk, not a certainty, and WHO itself stressed that it is not asking people to stop eating processed meat entirely, but suggests that eating less of it is a sensible step.

Newer research is adding to the picture. A large French study of more than 104,000 adults from the NutriNet-Sant{-15447} cohort, led by researchers at Inserm and published in PLOS Medicine, found that people with higher intakes of nitrites from food additives, particularly sodium nitrite (E-250), had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Follow-up analyses of the same cohort, reported in the BMJ and Nature Communications in 2026 and summarized by Smithsonian Magazine, linked higher intake of several preservatives, including sodium nitrite, to certain health outcomes. These are observational studies, which means they show associations rather than direct cause and effect, but they point in the same direction as earlier findings.

You may also have read online that nitrites make children gain weight. That claim is not well supported by research. Processed meats are often high in salt and saturated fat, so frequent servings simply don't fit well into a balanced diet for growing kids, regardless of the additive.

Europe has tightened the rules

Regulators have responded. Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2108, which applies from 9 October 2025, the maximum amount of nitrites that can be added to most meat products in the EU dropped from 150 mg/kg to 80 mg/kg, and for sterilized meat products from 100 mg/kg to 55 mg/kg, as explained in the European Commission's accompanying decision. The goal, according to food-safety experts at Campden BRI, is to keep nitrosamine formation as low as possible while still protecting food from dangerous bacteria. Meanwhile, the Irish food-safety body safefood notes that a number of producers are already moving toward nitrite-free or reduced-nitrite products.

Why the nitrite story matters beyond the label

Several years ago, there were reports in the region that large quantities of meat past its use-by date had ended up in p{-15454}t{-15447}s and hot dogs. Nothing of the kind was ever proven in Slovenia, but in neighboring Croatia the topic sparked a public debate. Dario Lasić, a well-known Croatian nutritionist, told the daily newspaper Jutarnji list that the meat used for sausages, p{-15454}t{-15447}s and other meat products is often several years old and largely made up of slaughterhouse leftovers.

Curing salts play a role here too: because nitrites keep meat looking fresh and pink, they can make it harder for shoppers to judge the real quality of the raw material inside. And since many foods with expired or nearly expired dates still circulate in the market during economic crises and supply disruptions, the key question remains: what have we learned from similar scandals? At the very least, that it is not wise to rely entirely on inspection services. What you do for yourself is what you can truly count on.

A nutritionist's guide to cutting back on nitrites

• Read the label. Look for E-249, E-250, and also the related nitrates E-251 and E-252. They often hide in p{-15454}t{-15447}s, hot dogs, salami, ham, bacon and some smoked fish.


• Be wary of "natural curing" claims. Products cured with celery powder or vegetable extracts are labeled "no added nitrites," but these vegetable powders are rich in natural nitrates that turn into nitrites, so the end result can be quite similar.


• Make processed meat an occasional food. A hot dog at a summer barbecue is not a problem. Daily ham sandwiches for kids are worth rethinking.


• Choose easy swaps. Home-roasted chicken or turkey breast, boiled eggs, tuna, cheese, hummus and bean spreads all make great sandwich fillings.


• Add vegetables and fruit rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C and other antioxidants are known to help limit nitrosamine formation; that is why manufacturers add ascorbate to cured meats. A colorful plate is always a good idea.


• Go easy on high heat. Charring or deep-frying cured meats such as bacon can increase nitrosamine formation; gentler cooking is the better choice.


• Don't fear vegetables. Spinach, beetroot and lettuce naturally contain nitrates too, but they come packaged with fiber, vitamins and protective plant compounds, and research generally associates them with good health.

If you are curious which other everyday foods are worth eating less often, read 5 Foods That Shorten Your Lifespan, and if processed meats are a regular part of your morning routine, take a look at Why is it dangerous to eat these foods for breakfast.

The bottom line

E-249 and E-250 are legal, regulated additives, and an occasional hot dog or slice of ham is not a reason to panic. Still, the evidence collected by the WHO, EFSA and large population studies suggests that eating less processed meat is one of the simpler changes you can make for your family's long-term well-being. For a start: whenever you can, choose products without nitrites, and give fresh, minimally processed food a bigger place on your plate.