YenzoWhat is E242 (dimethyl dicarbonate)?
It is dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC), a preservative. JECFA describes it as a cold sterilization agent used in beverages.
E242Dimethyl dicarbonate
E242 is dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC). It is added to drinks at bottling to kill yeasts, moulds and bacteria, and then quickly breaks down into methanol and carbon dioxide.
Did you know? In Appendix 2A of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, dimethyl dicarbonate is listed only for drinks: flavoured drinks, coffee and tea, cider and perry, wine and mead, at most 200–250 mg/kg.
- Code
- E242 · INS 242
- Group
- Preservative
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalelow?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E242 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, preservative (242), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
preservative (242)preservative 242E242INS 242On Vietnamese labels: Dimethyl dicarbonat
Dimethyl dicarbonate in food
Questions about dimethyl dicarbonate
Is dimethyl dicarbonate harmful?
In 2015 EFSA re-evaluated E242 and concluded that it was not possible to derive an ADI from the available data, but that there is no indication of a safety concern at the reported uses and use levels. EFSA noted that dimethyl dicarbonate is rapidly and fully hydrolysed into carbon dioxide and methanol, leaving no residue in the treated drinks, and that a new assessment would be warranted if the conditions of use change.
Is E242 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Dimethyl dicarbonate (INS 242) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, as a preservative.
Other preservatives
E234Nisinvery lowE235NatamycinlowE239Hexamethylene tetraminemoderateE243Ethyl lauroyl arginatelowE249Potassium nitritehighE250Sodium nitritehigh
See all preservatives →Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (3)
- Open Food Facts additives taxonomy (Yenzo's table cites no EFSA opinion for this code). Open Food Facts additives taxonomy, https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/blob/main/taxonomies/additives.txt (entry en:e242)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 2A (dimethyl dicarbonat, INS 242)
- EFSA Journal (2015). Scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, E 242) as a food additive