beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Ethyl acetate

CAS 141-78-6 · 60/100 · High conf.

Concern score

60/100High concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Ethyl acetate in plain language

What it is: Also known as Acetic acid ethyl ester · Ethyl ethanoate · Ethyl ester acetic acid · Vinegar naphtha · Acetate d'ethyle · Acetic acid ethyl ester ; Ethyl acetate;
Show all 25 names
Acetic acid, ester with EtOH · Acetic ester · Acetic ether · Acetidin · Acetoxyethane · Aethylacetat · Essigester · EtOAc · Ethyl acetic ester · Ethylacetaat · Ethylacetate · Ethyle (acetate d') · Etile (acetato di) · Octan etylu · RCRA waste number U112 · acetato de etilo · ethyl acetate (cercla) · ethyl acetate (sara iii) · ethyl acetate (sara iii) (vapor pressure 86 mm hg @ 68f)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a solvent and a fragrance ingredient.
Solvent
Perfuming
Flavouring agent, carrier solvent
Colourant
Fragrance
Flavouring
Is it a concern?: High concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 6913 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Home maintenance.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Ethyl acetate appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database7 entries — 3 administration routes
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: 31 %w/wSource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: FILM, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 0.05 mgSource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Maximum daily exposure: 41 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 13 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 382.26 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Potency: NASource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of straight-chain primary aliphatic alcohols/aldehydes/acids, acetals and esters with esters containing saturated alcohols and acetals containing saturated aldehydes (chemical group 1) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of the substances currently on the list in the Annex to Commission Directive 96/3/EC as acceptable previous cargoes for edible fats and oils - Part I of III (EFSA CONTAM)Source →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
GLOBALJECFA0-25 mg/kg bw (1967)JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw (1967). Functional class: flavouring agent, carrier solvent.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw (1967). Functional class: flavouring agent, carrier solvent.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 6913 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Solvent, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 6913 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Solvent, Flavouring and nutrient.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1 active drug products and 2 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1 active drug products and 2 total products.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of straight-chain primary aliphatic alcohols/aldehydes/acids, acetals and esters with esters containing saturated alcohols and acetals containing saturated aldehydes (chemical group 1) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2013 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of the substances currently on the list in the Annex to Commission Directive 96/3/EC as acceptable previous cargoes for edible fats and oils - Part I of III (EFSA CONTAM)
  2011 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw (1967). Functional class: flavouring agent, carrier solvent.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Ethyl acetate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated october 24, 2019
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2028-05-17
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

solventis.net

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Ethyl acetate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

6,913

Named organisations

Construction and building materialsFurniture and furnishingsHome maintenanceCleaning and safetyFood and drugSpecialty occupational products

Typical roles

SolventPerfumingFlavouring agent, carrier solventColourantFragranceFlavouring

See products using Ethyl acetate →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Ethyl acetate; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 153 →Find products without it →