Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of nitrates in the preservation of processed meats.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) considers that nitrates and nitrites are important preservatives which protect consumers by hindering the growth of harmful organisms, such as Clostridium botulinum, which is responsible for botulism.

This is supported by the independent scientific committees which advise the FSA and other organisations such as the European Food Safety Authority, which have previously reviewed the effectiveness of nitrates or nitrites in processed meat and its safety.