E1504 - ethyl acetate

At a glance

• What it is: A volatile solvent and carrier used to dissolve and deliver flavorings and colors.
• Where it’s used: Flavor concentrates, beverages, confectionery, baked goods, and sometimes in decaffeination processes.
• What it does: Helps mix oil‑based flavor compounds evenly into water‑based foods and drinks.
• Typical form: Colorless liquid with a light, fruity odor.
• Made from: Usually produced by reacting acetic acid with ethanol.
• Diets: Suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets; not a known allergen.
• Label names: “Ethyl acetate,” “E1504,” sometimes present within a flavor where the solvent may not be listed separately.

Why is ethyl acetate added to food?

Manufacturers use ethyl acetate because it dissolves many flavor and color compounds and then evaporates cleanly. This makes it an effective “carrier” that helps spread flavor evenly without leaving heaviness or residue. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists ethyl acetate among permitted synthetic flavoring substances and adjuvants, which includes its use as a flavor solvent and carrier.¹

What foods contain ethyl acetate?

You may find ethyl acetate in:

• Flavor concentrates used to make soft drinks, candies, and desserts
• Baked goods and fillings with added flavors
• Some color preparations (as a processing solvent)
• Certain decaffeination and extraction processes for foods and ingredients (for example, in the European Union it is an approved extraction solvent, including for coffee and tea processes).²

In the EU, ethyl acetate is authorized as food additive E1504 with defined identity and purity specifications.³ In the U.S., it appears primarily as a permitted flavoring substance and adjuvant.¹

What can replace ethyl acetate?

Depending on the job, common substitutes include:

• Ethanol — a widely used food‑grade solvent and carrier
• Propylene glycol — a solvent for flavors with low volatility
• Triethyl citrate — a less volatile carrier and plasticizer for certain applications

The best alternative depends on the flavor’s chemistry, evaporative behavior, and label preferences.

How is ethyl acetate made?

Most food‑grade ethyl acetate is made by reacting acetic acid with ethanol in the presence of an acid catalyst (a classic “Fischer esterification”). It can also be produced from acetaldehyde via the Tishchenko reaction. These are standard industrial routes described in chemical references.⁴

Is ethyl acetate safe to eat?

• United States: The FDA permits ethyl acetate as a synthetic flavoring substance and adjuvant when used in line with good manufacturing practice, which includes use as a solvent or carrier in flavorings.¹
• European Union: Ethyl acetate is listed as E1504 and has official identity and purity specifications for its use as a food additive and carrier.³

When used as intended, amounts are small, and much of the solvent can dissipate during processing or preparation.

Does ethyl acetate have any benefits?

Ethyl acetate does not provide nutritional benefits. Its value is technological:

• Dissolves many aroma and color compounds effectively
• Evaporates cleanly to help deliver a bright flavor impact
• Aids consistent mixing and stability during manufacturing

Who should avoid ethyl acetate?

There are no specific population restrictions set in U.S. or EU regulations for its approved food uses.¹³ People who prefer to avoid foods processed with solvents can choose minimally processed or “solvent‑free” labeled products, or products flavored with carriers like ethanol or propylene glycol.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Ethyl acetate is just nail‑polish remover, so it’s unsafe to eat.” Fact: The same chemical can have different uses at different grades and doses. Food‑grade ethyl acetate is approved for specific food uses and amounts by regulators.¹³
• Myth: “It always adds a strong taste.” Fact: It’s used in small amounts as a carrier and often evaporates, so it usually does not leave a noticeable flavor.
• Myth: “It must be listed on the label every time.” Fact: In the U.S., if used only as an incidental solvent within a flavor and present at insignificant levels, it may not need to be declared separately on the ingredient list.⁵

ethyl acetate in branded foods

You might see “ethyl acetate” or “E1504” on labels of flavor concentrates, soft drinks, candies, and dessert mixes. In many flavored products, it can be present as part of a flavor system; in the U.S., such incidental solvents may appear under “natural flavor” or “artificial flavor” without being named, depending on how the flavor is formulated and labeling rules.⁵

References

Footnotes

1. 21 CFR 172.515 — Permitted synthetic flavoring substances and adjuvants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-F/section-172.515 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Directive 2009/32/EC — Extraction solvents used in the production of foodstuffs and food ingredients (Annex I). EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009L0032 ↩

3. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Ethyl acetate — PubChem Compound Summary (CID 8857). National Institutes of Health. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8857 ↩

5. 21 CFR 101.100 — Food; exemptions from labeling. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-G/part-101#p-101.100 ↩ ↩²