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Potassium nitrite or potassium nitrite is the potassium salt of nitrous acid. The formula of the substance is KNO2. Potassium nitrite is a slightly yellowish or white crystalline powder. It quickly dissolves in water, and in air it gradually oxidizes to potassium nitrate (KNO3). In the food industry, it is better known as the additive E249. It is used as a preservative for meat/fish products and as a color stabilizer. It is potassium nitrite that gives sausages, sausages and other products a pleasant pink hue.
What you need to know about the food supplement, what are its properties and how does E249 affect the human body?
General characteristics
Potassium nitrite is a food additive approved in most countries of the world. In the Food Code, E249 refers to the group of preservatives, a subgroup of nitrates.
Preservatives are additives that inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms in food. Preservatives block the appearance of a characteristic smell, putrid taste, mold and toxins. Nitrates are salts of nitrous acid. Used in the industrial production of sausages/fish.
Scientific studies have proven the high toxicity and danger of E249, but a safer analogue of the additive cannot be found to this day. To protect the human body, the maximum allowable dosage of potassium nitrite is introduced around the world. For example, in Russia it is 0,06 mg/kg of body weight.
The additive appears as a white/yellow crystalline powder. It dissolves in water and slowly oxidizes in air to KNO3 (potassium nitrate). In nature, the substance is found in human saliva or is formed naturally in food residues. On an industrial scale, a synthetic preservative is used. It is extracted from the reduced mass of potassium nitrate using lead, sulfur dioxide and exposure to high temperatures.
Applications
Potassium nitrite is an industrial preservative. It is used similarly to other salts and nitrites (for example, sodium nitrite and sodium chloride). E249 prevents the growth and development of botulinum toxin. Alternative applications of potassium nitrite are analytical chemistry (for the recognition of amines), photography (for increasing light sensitivity), and the production of azo dyes (for diazotization).
What you need to know about botulinum toxin?
Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin of a protein nature. The substance is produced during the vital activity of special bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin is considered the strongest organic poison among all organic toxins known to science. The toxin poses a danger to most living organisms, as it provokes the development of botulism.
Botulism is a toxic infection of the nervous system. The main blow falls on the spinal cord and medulla oblongata. The disease destroys the cranial and oculomotor nerves, resulting in paralysis of the eye muscles. Botulism adversely affects the work of absolutely all muscle groups, provokes acute respiratory failure. Pathology is transmitted through the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract or respiratory organs. Transmission is also possible through damaged lungs or dermis.
Cases of botulism are recorded much less frequently than other intestinal infections or poisonings. But the disease does not lose its relevance, and about 10% of cases of infection end in death. Botulinum toxins are among the most powerful deadly substances.
Is it safe to use E249?
There is no analogue of potassium nitrite, which would be absolutely safe for the human body. In the countries of the European Union, and since 2013 in Russia, the preservative is used only in the form of a mixture with table salt. The concentration of nitrite in the mixture is 0,6%.
The scientific community claims that large doses of potassium nitrite provoke the growth of malignant tumors, destroy the internal microflora and cause allergic reactions. The dietary supplement can cause cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes), irritation, convulsions, and even death. During the experiment, scientists found that 200 mg / kg of body weight can kill a rabbit. The lethally dangerous dosage for a person is not exactly known and can vary under the influence of various factors (health, immune response, food quality, and so on).
The average healthy person consumes 40-100 milligrams of nitrite per day with food. In drinking water, no more than 50 milligrams per liter of liquid is allowed. The acceptable level of consumption for a person is up to 7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
The human body spends colossal volumes of liquid on the absorption of preservatives. Already after a few slices of spicy meat, a person feels an incredible thirst. Remember to drink enough fluids to keep your body hydrated and functioning.
How to protect yourself from E249? Discard ready-made industrial products (dried fish, smoked meat, etc.), cook yourself more often from quality organic food or choose the appropriate establishments. Food is an important part of life. This is the only process that a person faithfully repeats several times a day. Careful selection of the diet will help not only to avoid diseases, but also to improve the overall quality of life. Always read the ingredients list before buying. Choose the most simple compositions without an abundance of preservatives and complex chemical terms. Be careful and healthy.