Ethyl maltol CAS#4940-11-8
High Potency Sweetness: Ethyl maltol is four to six times more potent than maltol, offering a significantly stronger sweetening effect with minimal usage.
Distinctive Caramel-Fruity Aroma: It exhibits a very sweet, caramel-like odor with a fruit-like tenacity, enhancing sensory appeal in food and beverage applications.
Controlled Flavor Profile: Features a sweet, fruity taste with an initial bitter-tart flavor that rapidly dissipates, ensuring a balanced and pleasant aftertaste.
Efficient Synthesis Process: Multiple synthetic methods are available, including a streamlined one-pot process that avoids intermediate isolation, improving production efficiency.
Ethyl Maltol (CAS# 4940-11-8)
Ethyl maltol exists as white crystalline powder, with a melting point ranging from 90°C to 91°C. It emits an intense, sweet caramel-like aroma and is four to six times more potent than maltol.
A variety of synthetic methods have been developed for its production. Take the one-pot synthesis as an example: γ-ethylfurfuryl alcohol is reacted with halogen to yield 4-halo-6-hydroxy-2-ethyl-2H-pyran-3(6H)-one. This intermediate product does not require separation and purification; instead, it can be directly converted into ethyl maltol through aqueous hydrolysis.
In terms of sensory properties, ethyl maltol features a highly persistent, sweet fruity fragrance. Its taste presents as sweet and fruity, with an initial bitter and tart note, followed by a rapid fading of the flavor itself. As mentioned above, its potency is four to six times that of maltol.
Ethyl maltol Chemical Properties
| Melting point | 85-95 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 196.62°C (rough estimate) |
| density | 1.1624 (rough estimate) |
| vapor pressure | 0.2Pa at 24℃ |
| refractive index | 1.4850 (estimate) |
| FEMA | 3487 | ETHYL MALTOL |
| storage temp. | 2-8°C |
| solubility | Chloroform (Slightly), Methanol (Slightly) |
| pka | 8.38±0.10(Predicted) |
| form | Solid |
| color | White to Pale Yellow |
| Odor | at 5.00 % in benzyl alcohol. sweet caramel jam strawberry cotton candy |
| Odor Type | caramellic |
| biological source | synthetic |
| Water Solubility | 9.345g/L at 24℃ |
| Merck | 143,824 |
| JECFA Number | 1481 |
| Cosmetics Ingredients Functions | PERFUMING |
| FRAGRANCE | |
| LogP | 2.9 at 25℃ |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 4940-11-8(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| NIST Chemistry Reference | 4H-pyran-4-one, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-(4940-11-8) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy- (4940-11-8) |
| Hazard Codes | Xn |
| Risk Statements | 22 |
| Safety Statements | 36 |
| WGK Germany | 3 |
| RTECS | UQ0840000 |
| TSCA | TSCA listed |
| HS Code | 29329990 |
| Toxicity | LD50 orally in male mice, male rats, female rats, chicks (mg/kg): 780, 1150, 1200, 1270 (Gralla) |
Product Application of Ethyl Maltol (CAS# 4940-11-8)
Ethyl maltol serves as a versatile flavor and fragrance enhancer in food products, particularly in baked goods, beverages, and synthetic berry or citrus flavorings. It also effectively masks undesirable flavors in tobacco items, cough syrups, vitamin formulations, cosmetics, and saccharin-based products.
As a flavoring agent, ethyl maltol is a white crystalline powder with a distinctive fruity aroma and sweet taste. It melts at 90°C and exhibits limited solubility in water and propylene glycol but dissolves readily in alcohol and chloroform. The compound is produced through chemical synthesis.
