# Butyl Ethyl Malonate

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**Safety rating:** UNKNOWN
**CAS number:** 17373-84-1
**Category:** flavoring
**FDA GRAS:** no
**Adverse events (FDA AERS):** 0
**FDA recalls:** 0
**Last updated:** 2026-04-02

## Summary

Butyl Ethyl Malonate (CAS 17373-84-1) is an organic ester compound used as a flavoring agent in food products. It contributes fruity and sweet aromatic notes to beverages, confections, and processed foods.

## Regulatory status

| Country | Status |
| --- | --- |
| United States | approved |
| European Union | not_evaluated |
| United Kingdom | not_evaluated |
| Canada | not_evaluated |
| Australia | not_evaluated |
| Japan | not_evaluated |
| South Korea | not_evaluated |
| Brazil | not_evaluated |
| China | not_evaluated |
| India | not_evaluated |

## Detailed analysis

## What is Butyl Ethyl Malonate?

Butyl Ethyl Malonate is a synthetic ester compound belonging to the malonate family of flavor chemicals. It is classified as a flavoring agent or flavoring adjuvant under FDA regulations. The compound exists as a colorless to pale yellow liquid with characteristic fruity and slightly sweet aromatic properties. Its molecular structure consists of a malonic acid core esterified with both butyl and ethyl alcohol groups, creating a volatile organic compound commonly used in the fragrance and flavor industries.

## Common Uses

Butyl Ethyl Malonate is employed primarily as a flavoring component in food and beverage applications. Its fruity profile makes it suitable for formulations in:

- Flavored beverages and soft drinks
- Confectionery products
- Baked goods and desserts
- Dairy-based products
- Processed snacks

The compound typically appears in food products at very low concentrations, measured in parts per million (ppm), as is standard practice with synthetic flavoring agents. Its volatile nature allows it to contribute aroma and taste characteristics without requiring significant quantities in final products.

## Safety Assessment

Butyl Ethyl Malonate has not been designated as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA under its current regulatory classification. However, this designation does not indicate a safety concern; rather, it reflects the specific regulatory pathway and available safety documentation for this particular compound.

The FDA adverse event database contains zero reported adverse events associated with Butyl Ethyl Malonate, and no product recalls involving this ingredient have been documented. This absence of reported incidents suggests that any exposure through food consumption has not generated identifiable safety signals in the U.S. market.

As with many synthetic flavor chemicals, toxicological data on Butyl Ethyl Malonate is limited in the public domain. Manufacturers and regulatory bodies typically rely on structure-activity relationships and analogous compound data when evaluating safety. The malonate ester class has been used in food flavoring for decades without widespread safety concerns.

## Regulatory Status

In the United States, Butyl Ethyl Malonate may be used as a flavoring ingredient under 21 CFR Part 182, which covers substances generally recognized as safe for their intended uses, or under the FDA's flavor petition process. The compound's regulatory status varies by jurisdiction:

- **United States**: Permitted as a flavoring agent in food products
- **European Union**: May be approved under EU flavor regulations with specific purity and usage criteria
- **Other Jurisdictions**: Status varies; some countries may require specific approvals or may include it in positive lists of permitted flavorings

The FDA does not maintain a comprehensive public database of all approved flavoring agents and their individual GRAS determinations, as many flavor chemicals operate under the flavor and extract manufacturers' association (FEMA) GRAS program, which maintains confidential safety assessments.

## Key Studies

Published scientific literature specifically addressing Butyl Ethyl Malonate remains limited. Most safety assessment data for this compound exists in proprietary industry dossiers or regulatory submissions not readily available to the public. This is typical for specialty flavoring chemicals, which are often evaluated through:

- Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses
- Comparison with chemically similar, well-characterized compounds
- Metabolism and toxicity data from analogous esters
- Computational models predicting safety based on molecular properties

The absence of both reported adverse events and recalls in FDA databases suggests that any cumulative human exposure through food consumption has not identified safety concerns warranting regulatory action or public health alerts.

For researchers or professionals requiring detailed safety data, the manufacturer's technical documentation and safety data sheets would provide more comprehensive toxicological information developed through standard testing protocols.

## Sources

- FDA Substances Added to Food (CFSAN)
- OpenFDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)
- OpenFDA Food Recalls
- EFSA OpenFoodTox
- EU Food Additive Portal

## Citation

Additive Facts. "Butyl Ethyl Malonate — Safety, regulation, and evidence." https://additivefacts.com/additives/butyl-ethyl-malonate. Accessed 2026-05-19.