SnoutScanIs sodium nitrite safe for dogs?
It is allowed in cured meat, but cured meat is linked to cancer in people and treats can be made without it, so SnoutScan marks it down.
Sodium nitrite cures meat. It keeps the meat pink and stops bacteria from growing. In cured meat it can form nitrosamines, and the World Health Organization’s cancer agency classes processed meat as a cause of cancer in people. Nitrates do the same job once bacteria turn them into nitrite. Treats can be dried or preserved without them.
How SnoutScan scores sodium nitrite
- Points
- −10
- Highest possible score
- No cap
A nitrite or nitrate takes 10 points off the 20-point additives part, the same as BHA, and shows as a red chip. If no named animal protein comes first, the score also cannot go above 30.
Where it turns up
Jerky, sausage treats, meat sticks and other cured or smoked treats, and human ham, bacon and luncheon meat.
SnoutScan looks for these words on a label:
- sodium nitrite
- sodium nitrate
- potassium nitrite
- potassium nitrate
Related ingredients
Read more
Common questions
Can my dog have ham or bacon?
Not as a habit. On top of the nitrite, they are very salty and fatty, and fatty food can trigger pancreatitis in some dogs.
Based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classification of processed meat. This is a guide to labels, not a substitute for your vet.
Check whether your dog's food contains sodium nitrite.
Scan your dog's food