Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Maltol
Maltol is a pyranone in the sweet family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2656 (CAS 118-71-8). Its odor is sweet, caramel, cotton candy, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2656
- CAS
- 118-71-8
- JECFA
- 1480
- EU FL
- 07.014
- Formula
- C6H6O3
- EC
- 204-271-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 118-71-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 4H-Pyran-4-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-γ-pyrone, Larixic acid, Larixinic acid, Palatone, 2-Methyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyrone, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-pyrone, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyranone, 2-Methyl-3-hydroxypyrone, 2-Methyl-3-hydroxypyran-4-one.
Can Maltol be labeled natural?
Maltol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: maltol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized maltol is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Maltol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2656. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.014, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1480, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Maltol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 118-71-8, where EPA names it 4H-Pyran-4-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, caramel, cotton candy, fruity. Detectable at about 35 ppm.
Taste: Sweet, caramellic, enhances sweetness perception. Taste threshold about 0.05 ppm.
Where it is used
Maltol is used in sweetness enhancer, confection, baked goods and beverage, typically as a sweet note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Maltol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| o-Cresol | 3480 | 88% | In nature |
| Ethyl maltol | 3487 | 80% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone | 3174 | 75% | In nature |
| Furfuryl alcohol | 2491 | 75% | In nature |
| 2-Furyl methyl ketone | 3163 | 75% | In nature |
More pyranones in this index
Maltol FAQ
Does maltol have FEMA GRAS status?
Maltol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2656. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite maltol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite maltol as FEMA 2656 or CAS 118-71-8; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the sweet flavor category.
Can maltol be labeled a natural flavor?
Since maltol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when maltol is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
Can maltol be used in the EU and UK?
Maltol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.014 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated maltol?
Yes. JECFA number 1480, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does maltol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of maltol is sweet, caramel, cotton candy, fruity. On the palate it is sweet, caramellic, enhances sweetness perception. Its odor threshold is about 35 ppm. Typical uses are sweetness enhancer, confection, baked goods and beverage.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as MALTOL under CAS 118-71-8 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant, nutritive sweetener, processing aid.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.