Nature Identical Pineapple Flavouring

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Nature identical pineapple flavouring is a blend of chemically synthesised compounds—most commonly ethyl butyrate (CAS 105-54-4), allyl hexanoate (CAS 123-68-2), and/or ethyl hexanoate (CAS 123-66-0)—that are chemically identical to the aroma compounds found in real pineapple fruit. It is used in beverages, confectionery, dairy products, and baked goods to impart or intensify a characteristic pineapple taste and smell.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

The key constituent esters (ethyl butyrate, allyl hexanoate, ethyl hexanoate) have been evaluated by JECFA and EFSA and are broadly considered to present no safety concern at estimated dietary intake levels as flavouring substances. No ADI has been formally established for the composite blend because flavouring substances are assessed individually by chemical class; individual components evaluated by JECFA are regarded as acceptable at normal food-use levels. Fruity esters such as these are of low oral toxicity, but concentrated vapours can irritate mucous membranes if inhaled in occupational settings.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted under Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Standard 1.3.1. Flavouring substances that have been evaluated by JECFA and found to be of no safety concern are permitted for use; nature-identical pineapple flavouring constituents fall within this category. No specific maximum use levels set; used at GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) levels.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Governed by Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings; constituent nature-identical flavouring substances (e.g. ethyl butyrate FL-no 09.004, allyl hexanoate FL-no 09.010) are included in the Union List of authorised flavouring substances (Annex I, established by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 872/2012 of 1 October 2012). The term 'natural' may not be applied to nature-identical substances under EU labelling rules; must be declared as 'flavouring' or 'nature-identical flavouring' on label.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Permitted under FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations. Nature-identical flavouring substances are recognised as a category; constituent esters consistent with the JECFA-evaluated positive list are considered acceptable. Must be labelled as 'flavouring substances (nature identical)' per FSSAI labelling regulations.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — EFSA's updated 2022 flavouring guidance specifically flagged infants below 16 weeks as a population requiring special consideration for flavouring exposure; processed foods containing added flavourings are generally not recommended for very young infants.

Pregnancy — EFSA exposure assessment tools explicitly identify pregnant women as a specific target population for flavouring substance assessment; while no specific prohibition exists, high consumption of highly processed flavoured foods is generally advised against during pregnancy.

Ibs — Allyl hexanoate and other synthetic ester flavourings present in highly processed foods may act as FODMAP-related or gut-irritating triggers in some IBS patients sensitive to food additives, though direct clinical evidence specific to pineapple flavouring is limited.

Other — Individuals with known sensitivity or allergic reactions to synthetic ester compounds or fragrance-related chemicals (contact allergy, fragrance mix sensitivity) should exercise caution, as fruity ester flavourings belong to chemical classes associated with fragrance sensitisation at high concentrations.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1WHO / JECFA. JECFA Flavouring Substances Database – Ethyl butyrate (JECFA No. 427). apps.who.int
2EFSA. Scientific Guidance on the data required for the risk assessment of flavourings to be used in or on foods, 2022. efsa.europa.eu
3PubMed. Scientific Guidance on the data required for the risk assessment of flavourings to be used in or on foods (EFSA FAF Panel), 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Policy, toxicology and physicochemical considerations on the inhalation of high concentrations of food flavour, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5other. EUR-Lex Summary: Food Flavourings – Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008, 2011. eur-lex.europa.eu
6PubMed. Quantification of allyl hexanoate in pineapple beverages and yogurts as a case study to characterise a source of uncertainty in dietary exposure assessment to flavouring substances, 2011.

Independently researched6 citations