beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Cupric oxide

CAS 1344-70-3 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 2 other CAS numbers

185461-92-1 · 1317-38-0

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Cupric oxide in plain language

What it is: Also known as Copper(ii) oxide · Cuprum oxydatum nigrum · Copper oxide (CuO) · Black copper oxide · C.I. 77403 · C.I. pigment black 15
Show all 29 names
Copper monoxide · Copper oxide · Copper(2+) oxide · copper oxygen(2-) · BYK-LP x 20704 · Banacobru OL · Boliden Salt K-33 · Boliden-CCA Wood Preservative · CCA Type C Wood Preservative · CI 77403 · Chrome Brown · Coopers Permatrace Copper · Copacaps · Copper (II) Oxide (CuO) · Copper Oxide 0.4 · Cuprite 3 Special Order · copper monoxide/cupric oxide · copper oxide (1:1) (cupric oxide) · copper oxide. pel/tlv as cu · cupric oxide ingredients #1 & #2 equal 85-98% of total. · cupric oxide/copper oxide · Cooper (as cupric oxide) · Copper (as cupric oxide)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial. Cupric Oxide is the inorganic oxide.
Antimicrobial
Is it a concern?: Moderate 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 450 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Electronics/small appliances.

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. Cupric oxide appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of copper compounds (E4) as feed additives for all animal species (cupric acetate, monohydrate; basic cupric carbonate, monohydrate; cupric chloride, dihydrate; cupric oxide; cupric sulphate, pentahydrate; cupric chelate of amino acids, hydrate; cupric chelate of glycine, hydrate), based on a dossier submitted by FEFANA asbl (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Copper(II) oxide as a source of copper added for nutritional purposes to food supplements (EFSA ANS)Source →
EUCosIngActiveCupric Oxide is the inorganic oxide that conforms to the formula
- Cupric Oxide is the inorganic oxide that conforms to the formulaSource →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 450 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Electronics/small appliances. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Filler.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 450 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Electronics/small appliances. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Filler.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 26 active drug products and 26 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 26 active drug products and 26 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 copper compounds (E4) as feed additives for all animal species (cupric acetate, monohydrate; basic cupric carbonate, monohydrate; cupric chloride, dihydrate; cupric oxide; cupric sulphate, pentahydrate; cupric chelate of amino acids, hydrate; cupric chelate of glycine, hydrate), based on a dossier submitted by FEFANA asbl (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2015 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Copper(II) oxide as a source of copper added for nutritional purposes to food supplements (EFSA ANS)
  2009 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

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

8 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 July 2006
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2027-12-31
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

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

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

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

Source records

450

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesSpecialty occupational productsElectronics/small appliancesBatteriesRoad vehiclesPersonal care

Typical roles

Antimicrobial

See products using Cupric oxide →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 43 →Find products without it →