beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Levulinic acid

CAS 123-76-2 · 40/100 · High conf.

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Levulinic acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as 3-ACETYLPROPIONIC acid · 4-Oxopentanoic acid · 4-Oxovaleric acid · beta-ACETYLPROPIONIC ACID · gamma-KETOVALERIC ACID · Laevulinic acid
Show all 21 names
.beta.-acetylpropionic acid · 3-Oxobutanecarboxylic acid · 4-Ketovaleric acid · 4-Oxovaleriansaure · 4-ketopentanoic acid · 4-oxopentanoate · Acetopropionic acid · Acide 4-oxovalerique · Acidum laevulinicum · Leva · Laevulic acid · Levulic acid · Levulinsaeure · Pentanoic acid, 4-oxo- · levulinate
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a skin-conditioning agent and a fragrance ingredient.
Skin conditioning
Perfuming
Flavouring agent
Fragrance
Flavouring
Conditioner
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 222 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Cleaning products and household care.

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. Levulinic acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database2 entries
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: FILM, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 16.5 mgSource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Potency: 20 mgSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinionScientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of primary aliphatic saturated or unsaturated alcohols/aldehydes/acids/acetals/esters with a second primary, secondary or tertiary oxygenated functional group including aliphatic lactones (chemical group 9) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of primary aliphatic saturated or unsaturated alcohols/aldehydes/acids/acetals/esters with a second primary, secondary or tertiary oxygenated functional group including aliphatic lactones (chemical group 9) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
GLOBALJECFANo safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agentJECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 222 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Softener and conditioner, Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 222 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Softener and conditioner, Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient.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 primary aliphatic saturated or unsaturated alcohols/aldehydes/acids/acetals/esters with a second primary, secondary or tertiary oxygenated functional group including aliphatic lactones (chemical group 9) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

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

9 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 September 2018
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
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 →

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 Levulinic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

222

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesPersonal careCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

Skin conditioningPerfumingFlavouring agentFragranceFlavouringConditioner

See products using Levulinic acid →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 232 →Find products without it →