Food use
Nothing to weigh for this context yet.
We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.
- beauty
- cleaning
- food
- industrial
Lactic acid, l-
CAS 79-33-4
Also registered as 2 other CAS numbers
26811-96-1 · 1715-99-7
Concern score
Not assessed — no hazard data yet.
Lactic acid, l- in plain language
Also known as L-lactic acid · (s)-lactic acid · Sarcolactic acid · (2S)-2-Hydroxypropanoic acid · Dextrorotatory lactic acid · L(+)-lactic acid
Show all 27 names
L- lactic acid (+) · Paralactic acid · (+)-lactic acid · (s)-(+)-lactic acid · (S)-2-Hydroxypropanoic acid · (S)-2-Hydroxypropionic acid · 2-hydroxypropionic acid · ClO2-C Activator · Key Dermolac · L-(+)-alpha-Hydroxypropionic acid · L-Lactic acid (2-hydroxy propionic acid) · Lactisan Winter · Ph 90 · Purac · PURAC Powder H 60 · Pleo Sanuvis · Purac FCC 50 · Tisulac · l-(+)-lactic acid · lactic acid · Sarcolacticum acidum
Used in consumer products as a preservative, a surfactant and a chelating agent.
- Preservative
- Surfactant
- Chelating agent
- pH adjuster
- Fragrance
- Flavouring
- We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet.
Regulation
No restrictions found. Lactic acid, l- appears in these published regulatory listings.
- In marketed US drugs
- Inactive ingredient in US drugs
- Found in consumer products
- Beauty
- Cleaning
- Pharma
- Food
- Industrial
USFDAinactive ingredient database10 entries — 7 administration routes
- Route: AURICULAR (OTIC); Dosage form: SOLUTION/ DROPS; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Maximum daily exposure: 51 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 44 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Maximum daily exposure: 132 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 88 mgSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Maximum daily exposure: 51 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Maximum daily exposure: 10 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: 0.44 %w/wSource →
- Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 94 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Chelating agent, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 94 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Chelating agent, Flavouring and nutrient.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 77 active drug products and 94 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 77 active drug products and 94 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
No expert opinion on file for Lactic acid, l-. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.
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.
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
No JECFA evaluation on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
No EFSA opinion on file.
Evidence & sources
No graded research studies for Lactic acid, l- yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.
Where this comes from
- Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated april-27-2015
- 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 2030-01-07
- 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
Suitability
Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.
No signal in this context
Fragrance avoidance
Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.
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 Lactic acid, l- in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.
Source records
94
Named organisations
6
Personal careFood and drugCleaning products and household careIndustrial productsCleaning and safety
Typical roles
PreservativeSurfactantChelating agentpH adjusterFragranceFlavouring
Found in these products
Their ingredient lists include Lactic acid, l-; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.
Often appears with
Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Lactic acid, l- in the catalog.