Baby Safety / Compounds / Ethyl formate

Is Ethyl formate safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Ethyl formate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is ethyl formate?

The IUPAC name is ethyl methanoate.

Also known as: ethyl methanoate, Areginal, Formic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl formic ester.

IUPAC name
ethyl methanoate
CAS number
109-94-4
Molecular formula
C3H6O2
Molecular weight
74.08 g/mol
SMILES
CCOC=O
PubChem CID
8025

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Ethyl formate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Ethyl formate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Ethyl formate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA——
ECHA——
EU——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter ethyl formate

  • fruits
  • rum flavoring
  • food flavoring
  • beverages
  • confections

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Ethyl formate:

  • Ethyl acetate (natural, from fermentation)
    Trade-offs: Different flavor profile (more nail-polish-like at high levels). Lower boiling point.
    Relative cost: Similar

Frequently asked questions

What products contain ethyl formate?

Ethyl formate appears in: fruits; rum flavoring; food flavoring.

See Ethyl formate in the baby app

Look up products containing ethyl formate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 109-94-4 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →