What is it?
Nitrogen is a colourless gas with no smell or taste. It makes up about 78% of the air we breathe, and for food use it is purified from air. It does not react with food.
E-numbers / Other additives / E941
Nitrogen
also: N2
The gas that fills a crisp packet. It pushes out oxygen so food stays fresh and does not go stale or rancid.
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Cream (Milk) (91%), Sugar (8, 5%), Emulsifier: E471, Stabiliser: E407, Vanilla Flavouring, Propellant Gas: E942 and E941
E941
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a colourless gas with no smell or taste.
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174
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E941 in their ingredients
That is 0.4%, counted by its code or its name.
Only 1.7% of these labels print “E941”. The rest use its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
How common it is in UK food, by aisle
- Alcoholic drinks161 products8.7% of 1,857
What nitrogen is, what it does and where you will see it
What does it do?
It replaces the oxygen inside sealed packs, which stops food going rancid, changing colour or going stale. It also pushes cream out of squirty cans. As a liquid it is used to freeze food very quickly.
Where you will see it
Crisp and snack packets, where it keeps the bag puffed up and the crisps crisp, coffee packs, bagged salad and fresh pasta sealed with a protective gas, squirty cream and other aerosol foods, and some fizzy drinks. Labels call it nitrogen or E941.
What the science says
It does nothing in the body
Nitrogen does not react at normal temperatures. It is not broken down by the body and passes through without any effect. No regulator has set a limit for it in packaged food.
Nitrogen is an approved additive in the UK and EU with no numerical daily limit, because no hazard has been identified.
Regulator listingUK FSA approved additives list; EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II
Packing food in nitrogen keeps it fresh for longer
Sealing food in nitrogen, or a mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, is a long-standing way to make it last longer. It slows the oxygen damage that spoils food and slows the growth of microbes. The gas leaves nothing behind on or in the food.
Packing fresh produce, meat and baked goods in nitrogen or nitrogen with carbon dioxide pushes out oxygen and makes them last longer.
Established practiceFSA Food Additives guidance; academic food-science literature
Where it stands with the regulators
Approved in the UK and the EU
Daily limit. None set.
- Legal basis
- On the Food Standards Agency's approved list for Great Britain
- Permitted foods
- All kinds of food, at no more than is needed · Protective-gas packs of fresh produce, meat, fish, baked goods and dairy · Aerosol and pressurised food · Fast freezing, as liquid nitrogen
- Maximum levels
- No set maximum.
- History
- Nitrogen has been used to pack food for decades. No restrictions, bans or new reviews have been needed, and European reviewers have not flagged it for review.
Who should be careful
No group is advised to avoid it. It is not an allergen, and no diet, medicine or health condition restricts it.
The honest read
Nitrogen is the main gas in the air we breathe, and packing food in it is one of the most everyday techniques in the food industry. There are no open scientific questions about what it does to people. The real debates around gas-packed food are about single-use plastic and cutting food waste.
Common questions about nitrogen
Is E941 banned in the UK?
No. Nitrogen is approved in the UK and EU with no maximum level, and can be used in almost any kind of food.
Why is there gas in my crisp packet?
It is nitrogen. It replaces the oxygen in the bag so the crisps do not go stale, and cushions them so they are not crushed. It has no taste and does not change the food.
What foods contain E941?
Crisp and snack packets, bagged salad, fresh pasta, coffee packs, squirty cream and many other gas-packed products. It may also be used to fast-freeze meat and vegetables.
Is E941 vegan?
Yes. Nitrogen is a gas taken from the air and contains nothing from animals.
Sources
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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