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E942Glazing agentLow concern
Nitrous Oxide
In plain words
The short version
Laughing gas — the propellant in aerosol whipped cream and a culinary aerator.
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
ADI not specified — considered safe as a food additive at use levels (the gas leaves the food as it expands). Inhalation abuse (recreational laughing-gas use) is a separate, increasing public-health concern unrelated to the food use, but driving tighter retail controls on bulk N2O chargers in many jurisdictions.
The detail
First synthesized in 1772 by Joseph Priestley. Industrially produced by controlled thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate. Long history as an inhalational anaesthetic and analgesic.
The standard propellant in aerosol whipped cream and dairy alternatives — dissolves in the fat phase under pressure and expands on release to create the characteristic foam. Used in molecular-gastronomy 'espumas' (whipped foams) made with the iSi/whip-cream chargers. Whip-cream charger cartridges of pure N2O are the standard food-service supply.
Colorless gas with a faint sweet odor and taste. Highly soluble in fats (much more than nitrogen), which is why it works as a whipped-cream propellant. Liquid under pressure.
Permitted globally as a food propellant. Bulk retail sales of N2O chargers are being restricted in many countries (in the UK, nitrous oxide became a Class C drug on 8 November 2023, making it an offence to possess it for inhaling to get high; similar Dutch and German moves) due to inhalation-abuse concerns — not due to food safety.
Sources
- JECFA — Nitrous oxide (INS 942), evaluation summary — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 2000. ADI not specified; food use as a propellant acceptable
- US 21 CFR 184.1545 — Nitrous oxide (affirmed as GRAS) — US eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. US GRAS status as propellant and aerating agent; made by thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text (18.08.2026), Annex II Group I — EUR-Lex (European Union), 2026. EU authorisation at quantum satis
- UK Home Office — Nitrous oxide ban: guidance (2023) — UK Home Office (GOV.UK), 2023. UK 2023 restriction driven by inhalation misuse, not food use
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.