sodium nitrite cause of cancer?

sodium nitrite added to meats to give them a red colour. Some food experts are now saying that the only thing it adds to food is colour and is no use as a preservative. Read the labels in you're refrigerator!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm

It's been reported that rats in laborartorys where given sodium nitrate to cause cancer, so they can study cancer in rats