Sodium Nitrate in Foods

Sodium nitrate is a salt used to make fertilizer, explosives and rocket propellants. Its most familiar use is as a preservative added to meats. It has antimicrobial properties, which help prevent botulism. You may not know that it is also abundant in leafy green vegetables.

Identification

• Sodium nitrate is a white, odorless, solid crystal. Its chemical formula is NaNO3.

Benefits

• In small quantities, sodium nitrate preserves food, making it safe for human consumption. In larger quantities, it is used in pesticides, rodenticides and is a main ingredient in Crystal Drano drain opener. Sodium nitrate has numerous industrial applications, including the fertilizer, photochemical and metal castings industries.

Warning

• Nitrates and their cousin nitrites, have been implicated as a health risk to the cardiovascular system. Excessive consumption of processed meats such as ham, salami, SPAM and other cured meats may contribute to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Web MD warns migraine sufferers to avoid meat containing sodium nitrate, as it may trigger migraines.

History

• Sodium nitrate was first mined in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest desert in the world. The Atacama, bordering Bolivia and Peru, was a region rich in minerals. Conflict soon arose over control of the Atacama region, and in 1870 Chile went to war with Bolivia and Peru over mineral resources.

Significance

• Although some health concerns are present, without sodium nitrate it would be very difficult to transport meat as it would spoil much quicker. A shorter shelf life in the grocery store means a shorter shelf life in our pantries.