What is Lavender?
Lavender (Lavandula officinalis Chaix) is an extract derived from the flowering plant of the Lamiaceae family, native to the Mediterranean region. The CAS number 977001-82-3 identifies this specific botanical ingredient. Lavender extract contains volatile oils and aromatic compounds that give it characteristic flavor and aroma properties. The extract is used in food applications as a flavoring agent or flavoring adjuvant—meaning it either provides primary flavor or enhances and modifies existing flavors in food formulations.
Common Uses
Lavender flavoring is used in a variety of food and beverage applications, though it remains a relatively specialized ingredient. Common uses include:
- Beverages: herbal teas, infusions, flavored waters, and specialty coffee drinks
- Confections: hard candies, lozenges, and chocolate products
- Baked goods: cookies, cakes, and pastries
- Dairy products: yogurts and ice creams
- Honey and syrups as flavoring bases
The ingredient is particularly popular in artisanal and specialty food products marketed for their natural or botanical ingredients. Typical usage levels are small, as lavender has a potent flavor profile.
Safety Assessment
Lavender has a long history of culinary and traditional use across Mediterranean and European cuisines. The FDA has received zero adverse event reports associated with lavender flavoring, and no food recalls have been issued involving this ingredient. This safety record reflects decades of consumption in food applications without documented incidents of serious harm.
Toxicological data on lavender essential oil and extracts shows low acute toxicity in animal studies. The aromatic compounds in lavender—including linalool and linalyl acetate—are present in small quantities in food applications and are also found naturally in other approved flavoring ingredients.
No carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive toxicity has been documented at levels relevant to food consumption. Dermal sensitization is a known potential concern with concentrated lavender essential oil in certain individuals, though food-grade applications typically use diluted extracts at levels unlikely to trigger reactions through oral consumption.
Regulatory Status
Lavender does not currently hold FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status, meaning it has not undergone the formal GRAS notification process with the FDA. However, this does not indicate the ingredient is unsafe; rather, it reflects that formal GRAS affirmation has not been pursued or completed by manufacturers.
Lavender extracts are permitted in food products under FDA regulations as a flavoring ingredient, and the agency's Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) allows botanical flavoring agents when they contain no harmful substances and are used at levels that do not exceed traditional culinary concentrations.
In the European Union, lavender is listed in the Register of Flavouring Substances and can be used in food applications under EU Regulation 1334/2008. This regulatory acceptance reflects a scientific assessment of safety at typical usage levels.
Key Studies
While lavender has not been the subject of extensive food safety-specific research, relevant scientific literature includes:
- Toxicology studies on lavender essential oil showing LD50 values indicating low acute toxicity
- Chemical composition analyses documenting the volatile oil components
- Traditional use documentation spanning centuries in European and Mediterranean food culture
- Existing safety assessments by flavor industry organizations and international regulatory bodies
The absence of adverse event reports and food safety incidents over decades of use provides empirical evidence of safety at typical food flavoring concentrations.