YenzoWhich foods contain packaging gases?
Packaging gases are put inside the pack of packaged foods. According to the Yenzo page for E290, carbon dioxide is also put into the packs of some packaged foods. Each code has its own page with more detail.
Packaging gases in food
A packaging gas is a gas other than air that is put into a container before, during or after the food is placed in it. Makers use it in place of air inside the pack.
Vietnam regulates additives through a list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, referencing international Codex standards); a substance not on the list is not permitted in Vietnam, and that is the first tier of the Yenzo Scale — see how levels are set.
Packaging gases: very low risk
Very low risk: no concern at the levels used in food. How we score →
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Fun fact. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is a packaging strategy that can extend the shelf life of food products, helps maintain quality, and is considered one of the important approaches to food preservation. Its scientific basis for fruit can be traced to 1927, when Franklin Kidd, Cyril West and M.N. Kidd systematically examined the effects of regulated gaseous atmospheres on fruit storage. This pioneering work was developed further in a peer-reviewed study published in 1930. Since then, MAP technology has evolved through several stages, from the theoretical investigation and commercial development of controlled-atmosphere storage to passive and active MAP and the integration of functional packaging materials with precise gas-regulation technologies. Source: Research Progress, Challenges, and Future Trends of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) Technology for Food and Agricultural Products: A Bibliometric Analysis (2016–2025) (Foods, 2026)
Frequently asked questions about packaging gases
How can I recognise packaging gases on a label?
Labels usually write the group name followed by the INS number in brackets, for example “packaging gas (941)”, or the code E941, or the name of the substance (nitrogen). A substance may be written in any of these ways.
Which packaging gases are the most common?
Yenzo does not rank additives. Some codes of this group that have a page on Yenzo: E290 (carbon dioxide), E941 (nitrogen), E942 (nitrous oxide). All of them are named in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT.
Other categories
PreservativesColoursSweetenersFlavour enhancersEmulsifiersThickenersAntioxidantsAcidity regulatorsAnticaking agentsGlazing agentsStabilizersGelling agentsSequestrantsFlour treatment agentsHumectantsCarriersColour retention agentsFirming agentsEmulsifying saltsBulking agentsFoaming agentsRaising agentsPropellantsAntifoaming agentsBleaching agentsCarbonating agentsFlavourings