International Numbering System (INS) for Food Additives: 637
Food additives Europe numbers: E637
Functional Category
Flavor enhancer; flavoring agent.
Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation
Ethyl maltol is used in pharmaceutical formulations and food products as a flavoring agent or flavor enhancer in applications similar to maltol. It has a flavor and odor 4–6 times as intense as maltol. Ethyl maltol is used in oral syrups at concentrations ofabout 0.004% w/v and also at low levels in perfumery
Description
White crystalline solid with characteristic, very sweet, caramel-like odor and taste. In dilute solution it possesses a sweet, fruitlike flavor and odor
Stability and Storage Conditions
Solutions may be stored in glass or plastic containers. The bulk material should be stored in a well-closed container, protected from light, in a cool, dry place.
Safety
In animal feeding studies, ethyl maltol has been shown to be well tolerated with no adverse toxic, reproductive, or embryogenic effects. It has been reported that while the acute toxicity of ethyl maltol, in animal studies, is slightly greater than maltol, with repeated dosing the opposite is true.(1) The WHO has set an acceptable daily intake for ethyl maltol at up to 2 mg/kg bodyweight.(2,3) LD50 (chicken, oral): 1.27 g/kg(4) LD50 (rat, oral): 1.15 g/kg LD50 (mouse, oral): 0.78 g/kg LD50 (mouse, SC): 0.91 g/k