Food Safety Substance
MaltolE636
Maltol (E636) is a food additive with Approved (limited use) in the EU, GRAS in the US, and data from 6 regulatory sources.
Substance Identity
Resolved identifiers used to render this food-safety record.
Multi-Jurisdiction Comparison
Side-by-side status rows for the same resolved substance across public food regulators.
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | EU Commission | Approved (limited use) | - |
| Codex | Codex Alimentarius | Listed | Flavour enhancer |
Codex GSFA Status
Codex Alimentarius GSFA permissions and maximum-use rows.
| Jurisdiction | INS / E-number | Function | Food category | Max level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codex | 636 | Flavour enhancer | 01.1.4 Flavoured fluid milk drinks | GMP | For use in products conforming to the Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS243-2003) only. |
| Codex | 636 | Flavour enhancer | 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) | 200 mg/kg | Except for use in products conforming to the Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS 243-2003) at GMP. |
| Codex | 636 | Flavour enhancer | 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet | 200 mg/kg | - |
| Codex | 636 | Flavour enhancer | 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3 and 05.4 | 200 mg/kg | Excluding products conforming to the Codex Regional Standard for Halawa Tehenia (CODEX STAN 309R-211). |
| Codex | 636 | Flavour enhancer | 05.3 Chewing gum | 200 mg/kg | - |
| Codex | 637 | Flavour enhancer | 01.1.4 Flavoured fluid milk drinks | GMP | For use in products conforming to the Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS243-2003) only. |
| Codex | 637 | Flavour enhancer | 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) | 200 mg/kg | Except for use in products conforming to the Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS 243-2003) at GMP. |
| Codex | 637 | Flavour enhancer | 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet | 200 mg/kg | - |
| Codex | 637 | Flavour enhancer | 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3 and 05.4 | 1,000 mg/kg | Excluding products conforming to the Codex Regional Standard for Halawa Tehenia (CODEX STAN 309R-211). |
| Codex | 637 | Flavour enhancer | 05.3 Chewing gum | 1,000 mg/kg | - |
JECFA ADI Values
JECFA ADI records and evaluation years.
| Jurisdiction | Chemical name | JECFA no. | CAS | ADI | ADI upper | Function | Evaluation year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JECFA | MALTOL | 1480 | 118-71-8 | 0-1 mg/kg bw (1981) | 1 | FLAVOURING_AGENT, FLAVOUR_ENHANCER, STABILIZER | 2018 |
| JECFA | MALTOL PROPIONATE | - | - | no_data | - | - | 2008 |
| JECFA | ETHYL MALTOL | 1481 | 4940-11-8 | 0-2 mg/kg bw (1974) | 2 | FLAVOURING_AGENT, FLAVOUR_ENHANCER, STABILIZER | 2005 |
| JECFA | ETHYL MALTOL ISOBUTYRATE | 2252 | 852997-28-5 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT, Flavouring Agent | 2018 |
Cross-Reference to Cosmetics / Chemicals / Pharma
Same-CAS public rows from adjacent Roots verticals where available.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
This substance has different regulatory treatment across food, cosmetics, and industrial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food-use, safety, ADI, and cross-vertical answers mirrored into FAQPage JSON-LD.
What is Maltol used for in food?
Maltol appears in food-use rows as: flavor_enhancer; Flavour enhancer.
Is Maltol / E636 safe?
This page does not assign a standalone safety verdict; it renders public regulatory evidence. ADI/reference value: EFSA ADI = 1 mg/kg bw/day. EU status evidence: Approved (limited use). US/FDA evidence: GRAS.
What is the ADI for Maltol?
Maltol has this ADI/reference value in the food-safety tables: EFSA ADI = 1 mg/kg bw/day. Source: EFSA FEEDAP 2016.
Is Maltol also used in cosmetics?
Maltol has a same-CAS cosmetics cross-reference: Maltol, EU status prohibited.