E939 - Helium

At a glance

• What it is: An inert (non‑reactive) noble gas used as E-number E939
• What it does: Works as a packaging gas and propellant, displacing air in packs or driving food out of aerosol cans
• Where it shows up: Protective-atmosphere packs and some aerosol food sprays; the gas itself is usually not named on the label
• Taste or color: None; helium adds no flavor, color, or texture
• Diets: Suitable for vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and halal diets
• Allergen status: Not an allergen
• Labeling: In the EU it may appear as “E939,” or the pack may simply say “packaged in a protective atmosphere”
• Safety note: In food, exposure is minimal; never inhale helium gas directly from cylinders or balloons

Why is Helium added to food?

Helium is used to push out air (especially oxygen) from packages or to act as the driving gas in aerosol foods. In the European Union (EU), it is authorized as a food additive in the functional classes “packaging gas” and “propellant.”¹ The EU also sets identity and purity specifications for E939 helium as a food additive.² Because helium is chemically inert and does not react with food, it performs its job without changing taste or composition.³

What foods contain Helium?

Most shoppers won’t see “helium” on labels. In the EU, foods packed with gases typically carry the statement “packaged in a protective atmosphere” rather than listing the specific gas by name, so it’s common not to know whether helium, nitrogen, or another gas was used.⁴ Helium is technically suitable for snack packs, coffee, nuts, or aerosol foods, but in practice other gases are more common.

What can replace Helium?

• Nitrogen: The most common inert packaging gas for snacks, coffee, and many other foods
• Argon: Inert and heavier than air; sometimes used for wine and sensitive foods
• Carbon dioxide: Adds antimicrobial pressure in some foods but can affect taste if too high
• Nitrous oxide: A standard propellant for aerosol whipped cream

How is Helium made?

Commercial helium is recovered mainly from certain natural gas fields that contain small amounts of the gas. Producers separate and concentrate helium by cryogenic cooling and distillation, then purify and compress it for industrial uses, including food applications.⁵

Is Helium safe to eat?

Food contact with helium is considered low risk because helium is inert, nonreactive, and adds no chemical residues to foods.³ In the EU, it is permitted as a packaging gas and propellant under food additive rules.¹ The main safety concern with helium is not dietary: inhaling helium in place of air can displace oxygen and lead to dizziness, unconsciousness, or worse, especially from high‑pressure sources.⁶

Does Helium have any benefits?

For packers, helium can help keep air away from foods during filling, which supports quality by limiting contact with oxygen. It does not act as a preservative on its own and does not add flavor or color. As a processing gas, its benefit is practical: clean, inert displacement of air.

Who should avoid Helium?

There is no dietary need to avoid foods packaged with helium. However, people with lung or heart conditions—and children—should never inhale helium from balloons or cylinders, because it can quickly reduce the oxygen you breathe and cause harm.⁶

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Helium beer will make your voice squeaky.” Fact: Drinking helium doesn’t change your voice; the pitch effect happens only when breathing a helium‑rich gas, not from beverages. Helium is extremely insoluble in liquids and won’t stay in a drink.³
• Myth: “Helium is a preservative.” Fact: In the EU it’s regulated as a packaging gas or propellant, not as a preservative; it mainly displaces air and doesn’t kill microbes.¹
• Myth: “Helium is the same as nitrogen or argon.” Fact: All are inert gases, but they differ in cost, availability, and physical behavior. Many food packs use nitrogen or argon instead.

Helium in branded foods

You’ll rarely see “helium” or “E939” on a product label. In the EU, many products simply say “packaged in a protective atmosphere,” and the gas may be helium, nitrogen, argon, or carbon dioxide. Aerosol foods typically rely on nitrous oxide rather than helium, so mentions of E939 on branded goods are uncommon.

References

Footnotes

1. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 (E-number specifications) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩

3. Helium (CID 23987) — PubChem, National Institutes of Health. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Helium ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (protective atmosphere labeling) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169 ↩

5. Helium — Mineral Commodity Summaries, U.S. Geological Survey. https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2023/mcs2023-helium.pdf ↩

6. Helium — NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0336.html ↩ ↩²