Packaging Gases & Propellants — Complete E-Number Guide

Packaging Gases & Propellants are food additives (E290–E949) that protect packaged food from spoilage or propel it from containers. They are found in many everyday foods including bagged salads, crisps, fizzy drinks, squirty cream and modified-atmosphere packs. This guide covers every packaging gases & propellant E-number with its safety, vegan and halal status at a glance.

What do packaging gases & propellants do?

Additives in the packaging gases & propellants group protect packaged food from spoilage or propel it from containers. Without them, many everyday products would spoil faster, separate, lose texture or look unappetising — which is why they appear in so many ingredients lists. Every additive in this table has been through EFSA's authorisation process, but as the safety column shows, "authorised" doesn't always mean "concern-free": some carry conditions, warnings or ongoing debates, and each entry links to a full breakdown.

Checking labels for packaging gases & propellants

On UK and EU labels these additives appear with their function and E-number or name — for example "packaging gases & propellant: E290". Tap any E-number in the table for its complete profile: what it is, where it's found, whether it's safe, and its vegan, vegetarian, halal and palm-oil status.

Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).