Baby Safety / Compounds / Safrole

Is Safrole 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 Safrole, 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 safrole?

The IUPAC name is 5-prop-2-enyl-1,3-benzodioxole.

Also known as: 5-prop-2-enyl-1,3-benzodioxole, Safrol, Shikimole, Shikomol.

IUPAC name
5-prop-2-enyl-1,3-benzodioxole
CAS number
94-59-7
Molecular formula
C10H10O2
Molecular weight
162.18 g/mol
SMILES
C=CCC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OCO2
PubChem CID
5144

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Safrole, 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 Safrole, 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

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Safrole. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC1972Group 2B
US EPA1986Group B2 – probable human carcinogen
EPA CTX / NTP RoC—Reasonably Anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 8 positive / 4 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 8 positive / 4 negative reports)

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 safrole

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
  • Fragrance — perfume, cologne, scented personal care products, household fragrance products, candles
    Identified in Fragrance Ingredient Safety Priority Research database (2,325 ingredients)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Safrole:

  • Fragrance-free formulations
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for scented products
    Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
  • Essential oil-based fragrances (with disclosure)
    Trade-offs: Natural does not mean safe — many essential oils are skin sensitizers
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain safrole?

Safrole appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments); perfume (Fragrance).

Why do regulators disagree about safrole?

Safrole has been classified by 7 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Safrole in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. IARC Monographs Volume 1: Some Inorganic Substances, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, Aromatic Amines, N-Nitroso Compounds and Natural Products — Safrole Group 2B; Sassafras Oil; FDA Root Beer Flavoring Ban 1960; Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rodents; 1'-Hydroxysafrole Mechanism (1972) — iarc_monograph
  2. US EPA: Safrole — Group B2 Probable Human Carcinogen; Hepatocarcinogenesis; DNA Adducts at Guanine; Black Pepper and Star Anise Dietary Occurrence; MDMA Precursor DEA Scheduling; EU Flavoring Restrictions (1986) — regulatory

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 →