Artificial Raisin Flavour

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Artificial raisin flavour is a synthetic blend of aroma chemicals — primarily short-chain aldehydes, esters, alcohols, furans, and lactones — formulated in a laboratory to replicate the characteristic sweet, dried-fruit scent of raisins that arises naturally from unsaturated fatty acid oxidation and Maillard reactions during grape drying. It is used in bakery products, confectionery, cereals, snacks, and beverages to impart or reinforce a raisin-like taste without the inclusion of actual raisins.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Artificial flavourings as a class are regulated through GRAS determinations (FDA, 21 CFR 172.515) or flavouring-substance evaluations by FEMA and JECFA; no ADI has been established for the composite 'artificial raisin flavour' blend as a single entity because its exact chemical composition varies by manufacturer. The individual constituent chemicals (e.g., ethyl butyrate, gamma-butyrolactone, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 2-methylbutyric acid, decalactone) each carry their own safety evaluations, and most are assessed as GRAS at typical flavour-use levels. A 2024 PMC review noted that artificial flavourings as a category carry potential risks including hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals, though the evidence for harm at normal dietary exposure is not conclusive for approved substances.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted as a flavouring substance under Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Standard 1.3.1 (Food Additives) and Standard 1.2.4 (Labelling of Ingredients); artificial flavours must be labelled as 'flavour' or by specific name on the ingredient list.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Flavourings (including artificial raisin flavour) are regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties; they are governed separately from food additives and do not receive E numbers. Individual constituent flavouring substances must appear on the EU Union List of permitted flavouring substances to be used legally.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Permitted under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Regulation 3.3.1(1). When used, the common name of the artificial flavour ('raisin flavour' or similar) must be declared on the label in accordance with FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Permitted as an artificial flavouring agent under 21 CFR 172.515 (synthetic flavouring substances and adjuvants) when used at GMP levels in food. Individual constituent chemicals (e.g., decalactone, ethyl esters) may carry additional specific limits; manufacturers may self-determine GRAS status without mandatory FDA notification.

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Children — Children may have heightened sensitivity to synthetic flavouring chemicals; FSSAI labelling rules and general dietary guidance recommend limiting ultra-processed foods with artificial flavours in paediatric diets, and some constituent aroma chemicals (e.g., acetaldehyde) are bioactive at higher doses.

Other — Individuals with known fragrance or flavour hypersensitivity (contact allergy, asthma triggered by volatile organic compounds) should exercise caution, as artificial flavour blends contain multiple reactive VOCs such as aldehydes and esters that may provoke reactions.

Pregnancy — Regulatory bodies and nutritional guidance generally recommend pregnant women minimise unnecessary exposure to synthetic additives including artificial flavourings, given limited pregnancy-specific safety data for multi-component flavour blends.

Ibs — Some artificial flavour components (esters, aldehydes) may act as irritants to a sensitised gut mucosa; individuals with irritable bowel syndrome who follow low-chemical diets (e.g., Failsafe/RPAH elimination diet) are typically advised to avoid artificial flavourings.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Food Additive Status List — Synthetic Flavouring Substances and Adjuvants (21 CFR 172.515), 2026. fda.gov
2PubMed. Natural food flavours: a healthier alternative for bakery industry — a review, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Interrogating Raisin Associated Unsaturated Fatty Acid Derived Volatile Compounds Using HS-SPME with GC-MS, 2023. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — Declaration of Flavouring Agents, 2022. fssai.gov.in
5PubMed. Drying Treatments Change the Composition of Aromatic Compounds from Fresh to Dried Centennial Seedless Grapes, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6EFSA. Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties, 2008.

Independently researched6 citations