YenzoWhat is E239 (hexamethylene tetramine)?
It is hexamethylene tetramine, a preservative. Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists INS 239 as a preservative.
E239Hexamethylene tetramine
E239 is hexamethylene tetramine (hexamine, methenamine). In food it slowly releases formaldehyde and holds back bacteria; in Europe it is mainly used in provolone cheese.
Did you know? In Appendix 2A of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, hexamethylene tetramine has a single row: fully ripened cheese including the rind, at most 25 mg/kg expressed as formaldehyde, and the circular’s note says it may be used only for provolone cheese.
- Code
- E239 · INS 239
- Group
- Preservative
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalemoderate?Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, 2014
How E239 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, preservative (239), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
preservative (239)preservative 239E239INS 239On Vietnamese labels: Hexamethylen tetramin
Hexamethylene tetramine in food
Questions about hexamethylene tetramine
Is hexamethylene tetramine harmful?
In 2014 EFSA re-evaluated hexamethylene tetramine (E 239). Because of limitations in the database, EFSA could not identify a critical study and therefore could not derive an ADI. EFSA concluded that the use of E 239 in Provolone cheese at a maximum of 25 mg/kg (expressed as formaldehyde, the breakdown product of E 239 under acidic conditions) would not be of safety concern. EFSA noted that any wider use or any increase above 25 mg/kg would need a detailed assessment, which might require new data.
Is E239 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Hexamethylene tetramine (INS 239) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, as a preservative.
Can children and pregnant women have E239?
In its summary EFSA (2014) estimated that high-level consumers of Provolone cheese take in 18 µg formaldehyde/kg body weight a day from E 239 as adults, and possibly as much as 87 µg/kg body weight a day as children, under the conservative assumption that all ripened cheese eaten is Provolone. EFSA's overall conclusion on this use is that it is not of safety concern. The summary does not mention pregnant women separately. If you have a particular health condition, ask a doctor.