Is Maltol safe in cosmetics?
Maltol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Maltol
Also known as: 5-18-01-00114, BRN 0112169, Corps praline, EINECS 204-271-8, FEMA No. 2656 (+8 more)
INCI: MALTOL
Maltol (CAS 118-71-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance, flavoring agent. NOAEL 100 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 118-71-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Fragrance, flavoring agent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
3-hydroxy-2-methylpyran-4-one
InChIKey
XPCTZQVDEJYUGT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Allowed; holds GRAS status for food use (21 CFR 172.515). No specific cosmetic restrictions.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Maltol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Maltol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
7 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOEL | =100 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | chronic | EFSA |
| ADI | <=1 mg/kg | Human | oral | - | WHO JECFA ADI |
| LD50 | =1410 mg/kg | Guinea Pig | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =550 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =1620 mg/kg | Rabbit | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =1410 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 6480 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
A skin irritant.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
1480
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
MALTOL | 2018 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | The previously established ADI for maltol was withdrawn by the Committee. | ">TRS 1014-JECFA 86/102 | FAS 77 JECFA 86/429
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Humectant
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Maltol.
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
5-18-01-00114
BRN 0112169
Corps praline
EINECS 204-271-8
FEMA No. 2656
3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-gamma-pyrone
2-Methyl pyromeconic acid
2-Methyl-3-oxy-gamma-pyrone
2-Methylpyromeconic acid
UNII-3A9RD92BS4
3-hydroxy-2-methyl-pyran-4-one
3-hydroxy-2-methylpyran-4-one
Vetol
Chemical Function
Deodorizer
Humectant
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
MALTOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL31422
Max Phase
3
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maltol allowed in the EU?
Maltol EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Maltol do in cosmetics?
Maltol functions as: Fragrance, flavoring agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 118-71-8.
Is Maltol used outside cosmetics?
Maltol also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Maltol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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