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Preservative

E251 (sodium nitrate): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E251 is sodium nitrate, a preservative. E251 comes from minerals. Vegan and vegetarian profiles get Fits you.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Fits you

for a vegan profile

E251=minerals

What is E251?

E251 (sodium nitrate) is a preservative, an additive that makes a food keep longer by protecting it from microbes. Mostly used in cured and processed meats.

What is E251 made from?

E251 comes from minerals.

  • Minerals

Is E251 vegan?

Fits you. E251 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.

What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.

VeganFits youE251 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.
VegetarianFits youE251 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.

What other names does E251 have on a label?

On a label, E251 can also appear as “INS 251”, “Preservative (251)”, “Preservative (E251)” or “Sodium nitrate”.

Any of these on a pack means E251. The checker reads them all.

E251E 251E-251INS 251Preservative (251)Preservative (E251)Sodium nitrate

What would change the answer for E251?

For E251, only the ingredient list itself: a code the camera cannot read gets Needs one more scan, and the app never guesses a code it cannot see.

Sources: EU, US and Codex additive rules

Where additives are listed and approved. Bravoora reads the source and the diet; it does not rate the hazard.

  1. EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
  2. EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
  3. US FDA: Food Additive Status List
  4. FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online

Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).

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