Artificial Milk Flavour

About

What it is and where it shows up.

A proprietary blend of synthetic aroma chemicals — typically including diacetyl, delta-decalactone, delta-dodecalactone, butyric acid esters, and acetoin — formulated to replicate the taste and aroma of fresh cow's milk. It is used in confectionery, beverages, baked goods, snack foods, and dairy-analogue products where real milk solids are absent or insufficient to deliver the desired sensory profile.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

No single ADI is established for the category as a whole because 'artificial milk flavour' is a multi-component proprietary blend whose exact composition varies by manufacturer; safety assessment therefore rests on the individual constituent chemicals, each of which must be approved or GRAS in the relevant jurisdiction. A key constituent, diacetyl, poses serious inhalation risks at high occupational concentrations (linked to obliterative bronchiolitis) but dietary intake at GMP food-use levels is not considered hazardous by major regulators. Persons with cow's milk allergy should exercise caution, as some formulations may involve shared processing equipment with dairy, and the term 'artificial milk flavour' on a label does not guarantee complete absence of trace dairy proteins.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Restricted	Flavourings are regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008; only flavouring substances listed on the EU Union list (established by Regulation (EU) No 872/2012) are authorised. Synthetic (artificial) flavouring substances not on the positive list are prohibited. Flavourings are assigned FL numbers, not E numbers. Re-evaluation is ongoing by EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF).source
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted under FSANZ Food Standards Code Standard 1.3.1 (Food Additives) and Standard 1.3.4 (Labelling of Ingredients); flavourings must be declared as 'flavour' or 'flavouring' on labels; artificial flavourings require declaration as 'artificial flavour'.source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom)	Approved	Post-Brexit, regulated under assimilated Regulation (EU) 1334/2008 on flavourings (retained in UK law). Constituent substances must appear on the UK permitted flavouring substances list. Food additives must pass a robust safety assessment before use is approved.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Artificial flavouring substances are permitted at GMP levels under Appendix A of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, across food categories including snacks, sweets, and dairy-based products. FSSAI Labelling Regulations (Version VIII, 2025) require the common name of the artificial flavour to be explicitly declared on the label.

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — Artificial flavouring substances are contraindicated in infant formula and foods for young infants; Codex and FSSAI standards for infant formula prohibit or strictly restrict artificial flavourings to protect developing metabolic and immune systems.

Children — Artificial flavouring blends may include synthetic aldehydes and ketones that some children are sensitive to; parents of children with known flavour sensitivities or behavioural reactions to food additives are advised to monitor intake.

Pregnancy — The specific chemical composition of proprietary artificial milk flavour blends is not always publicly disclosed; pregnant women are advised to limit intake of foods containing unnamed synthetic flavouring blends as a precautionary measure.

Other — Individuals with a diagnosed cow's milk allergy should verify formulation details with the manufacturer — while artificial milk flavour is primarily synthetic, some preparations may be processed on shared equipment with dairy ingredients or may incorporate dairy-derived flavour precursors, making trace-allergen exposure possible.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Synthetic Flavoring Substances and Adjuvants — 21 CFR § 172.515. ecfr.gov
2FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations — Version VIII, 2025. fssai.gov.in
3FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 — Appendix A: List of Food Additives, 2022. fssai.gov.in
4other. Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods, 2008. eur-lex.europa.eu
5WHO. Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings (CXG 66-2008) — Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2008. fao.org

Independently researched5 citations