Back to catalogSafety
E939Glazing agentLow concern
Helium
In plain words
The short version
An inert packaging and foaming gas used to displace oxygen or aerate products.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
No ADI specified; chemically inert and not metabolized.
The detail
An inert noble gas, extracted from natural gas.
A packaging and foaming gas — displaces oxygen in modified-atmosphere packaging and can aerate certain products.
Colourless, odourless, non-flammable gas; lighter than air.
Permitted in the EU, the US, and globally.
Sources
- 21 CFR 184.1355 — Helium — US eCFR (FDA). US: affirmed GRAS (processing aid); inert, non-flammable, lighter than air, from natural gas
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 — Union list of food additives (Annex II to Reg. 1333/2008) — Publications Office of the EU (Official Journal), 2011. EU: permitted in all food categories at quantum satis
- JECFA database — Helium (INS 939) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 1999. JECFA specifications for food-grade helium (INS 939)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.