International Numbering System (INS) for Food Additives: 636
Food additives Europe numbers: E636
Functional Category
Flavor enhancer; flavoring agent.
Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation
Maltol is used in pharmaceutical formulations and food products as a flavoring agent or flavor enhancer. In foods, it is used at concentrations up to 30 ppm, particularly with fruit flavorings, although it is also used to impart a freshly baked odor and flavor to bread and cakes. When used at concentrations of 5–75 ppm, maltol potentiates the sweetness of a food product, permitting a reduction in sugar content of up to 15% while maintaining the same level of sweetness. Maltol is also used at low levels in perfumery.
Description
White crystalline solid with a characteristic, caramel-like odor and taste. In dilute solution it possesses a sweet, strawberry-like or pineapple-like flavor and odor
Stability and Storage Conditions
Maltol solutions may be stored in glass or plastic containers. The bulk material should be stored in a well-closed container, protected from light, in a cool, dry place.
Incompatibilities
Concentrated solutions in metal containers, including some grades of stainless steel, may discolor on storage.
Safety
Maltol is generally regarded as an essentially nontoxic and nonirritant material. In animal feeding studies, it has been shown to be well tolerated with no adverse toxic, reproductive, or embryogenic effects observed in rats and dogs fed daily intakes of up to 200 mg/kg body-weight of maltol, for 2 years.(1) The WHO has set an acceptable daily intake for maltol at up to 1 mg/kg body weight.(2,3) A case of allergic contact dermatitis, attributed to the use of maltol in a lip ointment, has been reported.(4) LD50 (chicken, oral): 3.72 g/kg(5) LD50 (guinea pig, oral): 1.41 g/kg LD50 (mouse, oral): 0.85 g/kg LD50 (mouse, SC): 0.82 g/kg LD50 (rabbit, oral): 1.62 g/kg LD50 (rat, oral): 1.41 g/kg