Nature-Identical Caramel Flavour

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Nature-identical caramel flavour is a mixture of synthetically produced or chemically isolated compounds—such as diacetyl, acetoin, maltol, and furaneol—that are chemically identical to substances occurring in naturally caramelised products; it is used to impart a characteristic caramel taste and aroma to foods, beverages, confectionery, and dairy products. Unlike caramel colour (E150a–d), it carries no E number, as flavouring substances are regulated separately from food additives in most jurisdictions.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

At typical food-use concentrations, the constituent compounds of nature-identical caramel flavour are generally recognised as safe by JECFA and FEMA, with individual substances evaluated group-by-group rather than as a single mixture. A principal component, diacetyl (2,3-butanedione), is associated with severe obstructive lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans) at high occupational inhalation levels, though dietary intake at normal food concentrations is not considered to pose an equivalent risk to consumers. No composite ADI has been established for the mixture; in the EU, the 'nature-identical' category was abolished under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008, and each constituent must now be individually authorised on the Union list of permitted flavouring substances.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	The 'nature-identical' flavouring category was formally abolished under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 (replacing Directive 88/388/EEC); flavouring substances are no longer classified as natural, nature-identical, or artificial in EU law. Each individual caramel-flavour constituent (e.g. diacetyl, acetoin, maltol, furaneol) must appear on the Union list of permitted flavouring substances (Annex I of Regulation 1334/2008, established by Commission Implementing Regulation 872/2012) before it may be legally used in food. EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) carries out safety evaluations of individual constituents using Flavouring Group Evaluations (FGEs).source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Formally defined under Regulation 1.2.1(29) of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2009 as 'substances chemically isolated from aromatic raw materials or obtained synthetically; they are chemically identical to substances present in natural products intended for human consumption, either processed or not.' Permitted in foods at GMP levels under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. FSS (Labelling & Display) Regulations, 2020 require the class name 'nature-identical flavouring substances' to be declared on the label; only the class name—not individual compound names—need appear for mixtures.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	The FDA does not use the 'nature-identical' classification. Major caramel-flavour constituents are affirmed GRAS by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) Expert Panel and listed in FDA's Substances Added to Food (EAFUS) inventory: diacetyl (FEMA 2370), acetoin (FEMA 2008), maltol (FEMA 2656), and furaneol/HDMF (FEMA 2489) are all FEMA GRAS. Regulated under 21 CFR Part 172.515 (synthetic flavouring substances) or through GRAS pathways. FDA has separately reviewed occupational diacetyl risks and recommended exposure reduction in manufacturing environments.

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Other — Workers engaged in the industrial production or handling of nature-identical caramel flavouring concentrates containing diacetyl face documented occupational inhalation risks (bronchiolitis obliterans); food consumers at normal dietary exposure levels are not considered to be at equivalent risk.

Children — EFSA's risk-assessment framework explicitly identifies children as a sensitive population for dietary exposure to flavouring substances, and cumulative exposure across multiple flavoured food products warrants monitoring in this age group.

Asthma — Diacetyl and related diketones present in caramel flavourings have been associated with airway inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness; individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma should exercise caution, particularly with products containing high concentrations of caramel flavouring.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1EFSA. Scientific Guidance on the data required for the risk assessment of flavourings to be used in or on foods — EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), 2022, 2022. efsa.europa.eu
2FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — Compendium (September 2022), 2022. fssai.gov.in
3other. Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Labelling — Discussion Paper on Flavouring Terminology (CAC/GL 66-2008 context), CX-714-44 CRD2, 2017. fao.org
4FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2009 — Regulation 1.2.1(29): Definition of nature-identical flavouring substances, 2009. fssai.gov.in
5EFSA. EU Rules on Flavourings — Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on flavourings, 2008. food.ec.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations