In the EU, nitrate and nitrite are currently restricted by Regulation
no. 1129/2011 (European Commission, 2011) in which risks and
benefits are balanced taking into account the great variety of meat
products manufactured and traded among the member states. But in
a near future, the current levels of nitrate/nitrite allowed by the
European regulations could be revised due to a request by Denmark,
which considers that its national and more restrictive regulation
provides enough protection against food poisoning.