To ensure that food on the market in the EU is as safe as possible for consumers, and to protect them from carcinogenic substances, the European Commission decided on Friday 6 October to set new limits for the use of nitrites and nitrates as food additives.
These new, considerably reduced maximum quantities protect against pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, Clostridia) and reduce exposure to nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic. Based on a rigorous scientific...