Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Hydrogen 水素

Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E949)

Purpose: processing agent
On the label: “水素” (hydrogen), “H2” (not labeled when it qualifies as a processing aid)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives: 水素 (No. 155)
Source and production: Hydrogen (H2).

In Japan

Hydrogen (H2). In the List of Existing Food Additives, its purpose is listed as processing agent (“製造用剤”). There are no standards for use.
The abbreviated name used for labeling is “H2”. When it qualifies as a processing aid, labeling is omitted (Food Labeling Standards).

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E949.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as processing agent

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