Any housewife knows that if fresh meat stays in the refrigerator for at least a day, its color will change drastically, becoming gray instead of bright red. This is a natural reaction of the product to contact with oxygen, which causes a lot of problems for food producers. The fact is that due to a similar chemical reaction, many sausages and fish products lose their presentation, and it becomes almost impossible to implement them. To avoid such problems, the food preservative E250, which is also known as sodium nitrite , is often added to food today. This white or yellowish powder is perfectly soluble in water, practically odorless and has a slightly sour taste.
What is E250 nutritional supplement for?
The scope of this preservative is very wide. First of all, the food additive E250 is necessary in order to fix the natural color of many foods and slow down the process of their oxidation upon contact with air. In addition, sodium nitrite acts as an antibiotic that destroys the causative agents of various diseases, including very dangerous botulism. Plus, the additive E250 restores nitrite to the level of nitrates and, thereby. makes usable many foods that would otherwise have been rejected. Meat and fish, various canned foods, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables these days are often processed with sodium nitrite. In addition, this food supplement is very popular in pharmacology and is part of the drugs that help fight asthma. Also sodium nitrite is in demand in the chemical industry, it is used to improve the quality of concrete and enhance the brightness of paints, added to raw materials in the manufacture of paper and rubber products. Also, the additive E250 is used in the processing of metals, being an excellent protective agent against corrosion.
What is the danger of sodium nitrite?
This food additive is very toxic and explosive. In addition, it can cause all sorts of pathologies. On the one hand, E250 expands the bronchi and helps to stop attacks of suffocation, and also has a very positive effect on the cardiovascular system, and on the other is a powerful carcinogen that can lead to the development of cancer. Scientists have established a close relationship between regular consumption of meat with sodium nitrite and gastric cancer. In addition, it was found that food products that contain a rather dangerous food additive E250, can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nevertheless, many countries of the world, including Russia, today use sodium nitrite in the food industry quite widely, although they adhere to certain requirements. So, the permissible rate of content of this substance per 1 kg of the product should not exceed 0, 6 mg By the way, for an adult is considered a fatal dose of 2 to 6 g of sodium nitrate.
