Editing Potassium nitrate (section)

===Meat processing===
Potassium nitrate has been a common ingredient of salted meat since [[Antiquity of humanity|antiquity]]<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Binkerd|first1=E. F|last2=Kolari|first2=O. E|date=1975-01-01|title=The history and use of nitrate and nitrite in the curing of meat|journal=Food and Cosmetics Toxicology|volume=13|issue=6|pages=655–661|doi=10.1016/0015-6264(75)90157-1|issn=0015-6264|pmid=1107192}}</ref> or the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031223155710/http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/meatscience/sausage.html "Meat Science"], University of Wisconsin. uwex.edu.</ref> The widespread adoption of nitrate use is more recent and is linked to the development of large-scale meat processing.<ref name="auto1" /> The use of potassium nitrate has been mostly discontinued because it gives slow and inconsistent results compared with [[sodium nitrite]] preparations such as "Prague powder" or pink "[[curing salt]]". Even so, potassium nitrate is still used in some food applications, such as salami, dry-cured ham, [[charcuterie]], and (in some countries) in the [[brine]] used to make [[corned beef]] (sometimes together with sodium nitrite).<ref>[http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36271,00.html Corned Beef] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319080839/http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36271,00.html |date=2008-03-19}}, Food Network</ref> In the Shetland Islands (UK) it is used in the curing of mutton to make [[reestit mutton]], a local delicacy.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CeF0AQAAQBAJ&q=reestit+mutton |title=A Year In A Scots Kitchen |last=Brown |first=Catherine |date=2011-11-14 |publisher=Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd |isbn=9781906476847 |language=en}}</ref> When used as a food additive in the European Union,<ref>UK Food Standards Agency: {{cite web |url=http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/enumberlist |title=Current EU approved additives and their E Numbers |access-date=2011-10-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007124435/http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/enumberlist |archive-date=2010-10-07}}</ref> the compound is referred to as [[E number|E252]]; it is also approved for use as a food additive in the United States<ref>US Food and Drug Administration: {{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/ucm191033.htm#ftnT |title=Listing of Food Additives Status Part II |website=[[Food and Drug Administration]] |access-date=2011-10-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108002304/https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/ucm191033.htm#ftnT |archive-date=2011-11-08}}</ref> and Australia and New Zealand<ref>Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code {{cite web |url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2011C00827 |title=Standard 1.2.4 – Labelling of ingredients |date=8 September 2011 |access-date=2011-10-27}}</ref> (where it is listed under its [[List of food additives, Codex Alimentarius|INS number]] 252).<ref name=b1/>

====Possible cancer risk====
Since October 2015, [[World Health Organization|WHO]] classifies processed meat as Group 1 carcinogen (based on epidemiological studies, convincingly [[Carcinogenesis|carcinogenic]] to humans).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref>

In April 2023 the French Court of Appeals of Limoges confirmed that food-watch NGO Yuka was legally legitimate in describing Potassium Nitrate [[E number#E200–E299|E249 to E252]] as a "cancer risk", and thus rejected an appeal by the French {{lang|fr|[[charcuterie]]}} industry against the organisation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nitrites et jambons "cancérogènes" : nouvelle victoire en appel de Yuka contre un industriel de la charcuterie |trans-title=Nitrites and "carcinogenic" hams: Yuka's new appeal victory against a charcuterie manufacturer |work=Marianne |first=Thomas |last=Rabino |date=13 April 2023 |language=fr |quote=Et ce, en dépit de la multiplicité des avis scientifiques, comme celui du Centre international de recherche sur le cancer, classant ces mêmes additifs, connus sous le nom de E249, E250, E251, E252, parmi les « cancérogènes probables », auxquels la Ligue contre le cancer attribue près de 4 000 cancers colorectaux par an. |trans-quote=And this, despite the multiplicity of scientific opinions, such as that of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, classifying these same additives, known as E249, E250, E251, E252, among the "probable carcinogens", to which the League Against Cancer attributes nearly 4,000 colorectal cancers per year.}}</ref>