E949Hydrogen

E949 is Hydrogen. INS 949 is not in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, so this page does not yet state a Vietnamese rule for it.

Did you know? In the EU, hydrogen is also permitted in cosmetic products as an antioxidant (per EFSA, citing the European Commission CosIng database).

Code: E949 · INS 949
Group: Packaging gas

In VietnamNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additivesNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019); it may be used only in a product whose declaration is registered with the Vietnam Food Administration

Risk level on the Yenzo Scalevery low?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy

How E949 appears on labels

IngredientsIllustrative example

Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, packaging gas (949), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).

packaging gas (949)packaging gas 949E949INS 949

Questions about hydrogen

What is E949 (hydrogen)?

In Yenzo's data, E949 (INS 949) is Hydrogen.

Is hydrogen harmful?

In 2025 EFSA re-evaluated hydrogen together with oxygen. It considered both gases of low concern as additives, with very low dietary exposure, and concluded that the use of hydrogen (E 949) does not raise a safety concern. Earlier, in 1990, the EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) had only drawn attention to hydrogen's explosive properties and considered an ADI unnecessary.

Is E949 permitted in Vietnam?

INS 949 was not found in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT (consolidated 09/VBHN-BYT). The page draws no conclusion on the rule for E949.

Can children and pregnant women have E949?

According to EFSA (2025), hydrogen is authorised in the EU at quantum satis (as much as needed) in all food categories, including foods for infants and young children. For pregnant women, this source contains no separate rule or statement.

Other packaging gases

E290Carbon dioxidevery low E938Argonvery low E939Heliumvery low E941Nitrogenvery low E942Nitrous oxidevery low E948Oxygenvery low

See all packaging gases →

Updated 20 October 2026

How Yenzo scores

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:e949)
Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 1
EFSA Journal (2025). Re-evaluation of oxygen (E 948) and hydrogen (E 949) as food additives

Information only, not medical advice. The risk level is the additive's class in Yenzo's open scoring method, based on the cited source.