E939 Helium: Food Additive as Propellant Gas
E939 is the EU food additive code for helium, a colorless and odorless noble gas used in the food industry as a propellant and packaging gas.
Things worth knowing about "E939"
E939 is the EU food additive code for helium, a colorless and odorless noble gas used in the food industry as a propellant and packaging gas.
What is E939?
E939 is the official EU designation for helium (chemical symbol: He), a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, and non-flammable noble gas. In the food industry, helium is an approved food additive classified under the category of propellant gases and packaging gases. It belongs to the group of noble gases and is chemically inert, meaning it does not react with other substances under normal conditions.
Use in the Food Industry
Helium (E939) is used in food processing and packaging for several technological purposes:
- Propellant gas: Helium can be used as a propellant in aerosol containers, for example to dispense food products or food ingredients from pressurized containers.
- Protective / packaging gas: Helium is used to flush packaging atmospheres, protecting food from oxidation, moisture ingress, and microbial spoilage, thereby extending shelf life.
- Cryogenic cooling processes: Liquid helium is used in some specialized industrial freezing and cooling applications in food processing.
Chemical and Physical Properties
Helium is the second lightest element in the periodic table (atomic number 2). It exists in nature as a monoatomic gas and belongs to Group 18 (noble gases). Due to its chemical inertness, helium does not react with any other substance under normal conditions and leaves no taste, odor, or residue in food products. It is non-flammable and non-toxic.
Safety and Health Assessment
Helium is considered physiologically inert and completely harmless to humans under normal conditions. It is non-reactive in food products and does not remain in the product. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other international regulatory bodies classify helium as a safe food additive. There are no known toxicological risks associated with the use of helium as a food additive when used as intended.
Important note: Directly inhaling pure helium from pressurized containers can be dangerous, as it displaces oxygen in the lungs and may cause suffocation. This is not a food-specific risk but a general safety consideration for handling the gas.
Labelling and Regulatory Approval
Helium (E939) is approved in the European Union as a food additive under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives. It is listed in the category of propellant gases and packaging gases. In products where helium has been used during manufacturing or packaging, it may not always need to be declared as an ingredient if it performs no technological function in the final product. However, in many cases helium is listed on the ingredient label or indicated as part of a modified atmosphere packaging declaration.
Comparison with Other Packaging Gases
In addition to helium (E939), several other gases are approved as food additives in the EU, including:
- E938 - Argon
- E941 - Nitrogen
- E942 - Nitrous oxide
- E948 - Oxygen
- E290 - Carbon dioxide
Compared to nitrogen or argon, helium is significantly more expensive to produce and source, which is why it is less commonly used in the food industry. Argon and nitrogen remain the preferred protective gases for food packaging applications.
References
- European Parliament and Council of the European Union: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives. Official Journal of the European Union, 2008.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Re-evaluation of helium (E 939) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 2018.
- Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO): General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA). Rome, 2023.
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