Ethyl maltol (CAS No. 4940-11-8) is a high-efficiency synthetic flavor enhancer widely applied in food, beverage, tobacco and daily chemical industries. The product presents as pure white crystalline solid with a melting point ranging from 90°C to 91°C. It features a rich, sweet and natural caramel-like aroma, exhibiting extremely strong flavor-enhancing performance. Its flavoring intensity is 4 to 6 times higher than ordinary maltol, enabling significant dosage reduction and better flavor modification effects in practical applications.
Multiple mature synthetic processes have been industrially developed for the mass production of ethyl maltol to ensure stable product quality and sufficient supply. The commonly adopted one-pot synthesis process is simple and efficient, which is suitable for large-scale industrial manufacturing. In this classic production route, 2-ethylfurfuryl alcohol is treated with halogen reagents to generate the intermediate 4-halo-6-hydroxy-2-ethyl-2H-pyran-3(6H)-one. This intermediate does not require separate isolation and purification, and can be directly converted into high-purity ethyl maltol through simple aqueous hydrolysis reaction, effectively simplifying the production process and reducing production impurities.
In terms of sensory characteristics, ethyl maltol delivers an intense, long-lasting sweet fruity and caramel fragrance with excellent tenacity. Its taste is dominated by prominent sweet and fruity notes, accompanied by a slight initial bitter-tart aftertaste that fades rapidly. Although the pure flavor dissipates moderately quickly, its aroma-fixing, flavor-enhancing and odor-masking capabilities remain outstanding. With far higher flavor potency than conventional maltol, it can effectively improve the overall taste and aroma of finished products, cover up peculiar smells and bitter tastes, and endow products with soft, natural and mellow flavor layers, making it an irreplaceable core flavor additive in the modern food processing industry.
| Ethyl maltol Chemical Properties |
| Melting point | 85-95 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 196.62°C (rough estimate) |
| density | 1.1624 (rough estimate) |
| vapor pressure | 0.2Pa at 24℃ |
| refractive index | 1.4850 (estimate) |
| FEMA | 3487 | ETHYL MALTOL |
| storage temp. | 2-8°C |
| solubility | Chloroform (Slightly), Methanol (Slightly) |
| pka | 8.38±0.10(Predicted) |
| form | Solid |
| color | White to Pale Yellow |
| Odor | at 5.00 % in benzyl alcohol. sweet caramel jam strawberry cotton candy |
| Odor Type | caramellic |
| biological source | synthetic |
| Water Solubility | 9.345g/L at 24℃ |
| Merck | 14,3824 |
| JECFA Number | 1481 |
| Cosmetics Ingredients Functions | PERFUMING FRAGRANCE |
| LogP | 2.9 at 25℃ |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 4940-11-8(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | 4H-pyran-4-one, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-(4940-11-8) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy- (4940-11-8) |
| Safety Information |
| Hazard Codes | Xn |
| Risk Statements | 22 |
| Safety Statements | 36 |
| WGK Germany | 3 |
| RTECS | UQ0840000 |
| TSCA | TSCA listed |
| HS Code | 29329990 |
| Toxicity | LD50 orally in male mice, male rats, female rats, chicks (mg/kg): 780, 1150, 1200, 1270 (Gralla) |
