Mean concentration and daily intake of the inorganic food additives nitrite, nitrate, and sulfur dioxide were estimated based on the analysis of 15, 569 samples of food obtained at official inspections by Japanese local governments in fiscal year 1996. The mean concentration of nitrite was 17.2% of the allowable limit, and those of nitrate and sulfur dioxide were 30.9% and 14.4%, respectively. Daily intakes of these inorganic food additives per person, estimated from the concentrations and daily consumption of the foods, were 1.07, 1.43, and 1.45mg, respectively. These amounts of nitrite, nitrate, and sulfur dioxide were 35.7%, 0.8%, and 4.1% of the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), respectively, when body weight was assumed to be 50kg. Ratios to ADI were similar to those based on the results of the official inspection in fiscal year 1994 except that nitrite intake in fiscal year 1994 was 10.6% of the ADI. The major reason for the increase of the calculated daily intake of nitrite in fiscal year 1996 was that 0.020g/kg nitrite, corresponding to a daily intake of 0.87mg, was found in confectionery, a food category which was not inspected in fiscal year 1994.