About
Safed chandan (white sandalwood) is the essential oil steam-distilled from the heartwood of Santalum album L., a tree native to India belonging to the Santalaceae family. It is used as a natural aromatic flavouring agent in foods, as well as extensively in perfumery, cosmetics, and traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
Safety summary
Sandalwood oil from Santalum album has a well-established safety profile; its primary components α-santalol and β-santalol have an oral LD50 greater than 2 g/kg body weight in animals, and no ADI has been formally set due to its GRAS/flavouring status at typical food-use levels. Allergic contact dermatitis is occasionally reported, with hypersensitivity rates of 0.1–2.4% in tested populations. No IARC carcinogenicity classification exists; emerging research even suggests potential anti-carcinogenic properties of α-santalol.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Health Canada (Canada) | Restricted | Permitted as a food flavouring agent; Health Canada's Chemicals Management Plan proposes restrictions on topical personal-care use (body lotion, massage oil, body fragrance) for infants and children up to 8 years of age due to dermal exposure concerns, but food flavouring use is not restricted.source |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Accepted for use as an aromatic food additive under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings; must comply with EFSA requirements when used as a food additive; ISO 3518:2002 specifies physicochemical quality standards.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Recognised as a traditional food flavouring ingredient under FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Wild harvesting of Santalum album in India is heavily restricted by state forest departments; commercial use relies on cultivated or licensed sources.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Listed in FDA's Substances Added to Food database (formerly EAFUS) as a flavouring substance; JECFA specifications for flavourings apply; FEMA GRAS status recognized for use as a food flavouring at trace levels.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1PubMed. Enhancing Antimicrobial Efficacy of Sandalwood Essential Oil Against Salmonella enterica for Food Preservation, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2PubMed. A Comparison of the Composition of Selected Commercial Sandalwood Oils with the International Standard, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3PubMed. Re-discovering Sandalwood: Beyond Beauty and Fragrance, 2019. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4PubMed. Sandalwood Album Oil as a Botanical Therapeutic in Dermatology, 2017. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5PubMed. Safety assessment of sandalwood oil (Santalum album L.), 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
