Flavor Compliance & Inhalation Safety Database

Regulatory Intelligence for E-Liquid Manufacturers, Formulators, and Flavor Houses

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Search any flavor compound by name, CAS number, FEMA number, FLAVIS number, JECFA number, or PubChem CID and instantly verify its regulatory status and inhalation safety profile.

What This Database Do

Developing e-liquid formulations requires more than good tasting flavor. Manufacturers must also understand, if ingredient is prohibited, restricted, permitted, or associated with known inhalation risks.

This database brings together multiple regulatory and scientific sources into searchable reference.

For each compound you can quickly determine:

  • Whether it appears on the EU List of Approved Substances
  • Whether it is prohibited under the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)
  • Whether it is subject to restrictions under ECHA REACH Annex XVII
  • Whether it appears on the Netherlands e-cigarette positive list
  • Whether it belongs to a chemical class associated with inhalation hazards
  • The legal or scientific source supporting each classification

Who Is This For

This tool was built specifically for:

  • E-liquid manufacturers
  • Vape liquid formulators
  • Product development teams
  • Importers and distributors of flavor ingredients

Reviewing an existing formulation or evaluating a new flavor ingredient, this database provides a fast starting point for regulatory screening.

Database Coverage

The database contains 2,581 flavor compounds compiled from primary legislative and scientific sources.

EU List of Approved Flavouring Substances

2,479 compounds

Every flavoring substance listed in Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 Annex I Table 1, including:

  • FLAVIS Number
  • CAS Number
  • JECFA Number
  • Council of Europe Number (where available)

These compounds have been evaluated for use as food flavourings within the European Union.

EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) Prohibitions

105 compounds

Substances identified within prohibited additive categories implemented through the Austrian TNRSG, including:

  • Additives facilitating inhalation
  • Additives facilitating nicotine uptake
  • CMR substances in unburned form
  • Vitamins and health-claim additives
  • Caffeine and taurine
  • Stimulant compounds
  • Ingredients posing risks to human health

ECHA REACH Annex XVII Restrictions

37 compounds

Substances subject to legally binding restrictions under REACH Annex XVII and cross-referenced against the EU flavourings list.

Netherlands Positive List

16 compounds

Flavorings currently permitted under the Netherlands Tobacco and Smoking Products Decree 2022 for use in e-liquid formulations.

PubChem Cross-Referencing

Every compound record is linked to:

  • PubChem CID
  • InChIKey

This provides a stable chemical identifier and helps resolve naming differences between common names, trade names, synonyms, and IUPAC nomenclature.

Inhalation Risk Flags

Regulatory approval does not necessarily indicate inhalation safety, so the database includes independent inhalation-risk classifications where relevant.

Diacetyl-Class Compounds

8 alpha-diketone compounds

Includes:

  • Diacetyl (2,3-butanedione)
  • 2,3-Pentanedione
  • 2,3-Hexanedione
  • Hexan-3,4-dione
  • 2,3-Heptanedione
  • 2,3-Octanedione
  • Acetoin

These compounds belong to a chemical class that has been associated with respiratory injury following inhalation exposure.

Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione are explicitly prohibited under EU TPD implementation. Related diketones are flagged as Use With Caution due to concerns identified by NIOSH, OSHA, and EFSA.

REACH Restricted Substances

Compounds subject to restrictions under REACH Annex XVII receive additional compliance flagging, including substances covered by CMR entries 28, 29, and 30.

Enter at least three characters. Results appear as you type.

The database searches across:

  • Compound names
  • Chemical synonyms
  • IUPAC names
  • CAS Registry Numbers
  • FLAVIS Numbers
  • FEMA Numbers
  • JECFA Numbers
  • PubChem CIDs

Data Sources & Methodology

All regulatory classifications are derived from primary legislative or official scientific sources.

Regulatory Sources

  • EU Union List of Approved Flavouring Substances (Regulation EC 1334/2008)
  • EU Tobacco Products Directive (Articles 7 and 20)
  • Austrian TNRSG implementation guidance
  • ECHA REACH Annex XVII restriction database
  • Netherlands Tobacco and Smoking Products Decree 2022
  • RIVM documentation

Scientific Sources

  • NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation reports
  • OSHA Diacetyl and Food Flavorings Hazard Alert
  • EFSA Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation of Diketones (2016)

Chemical Identity Sources

  • PubChem Compound Database
  • CAS Number matching
  • InChIKey verification
  • Canonical chemical identifiers

Important Limitations

No Maximum Usage Levels

Public regulatory sources generally do not publish maximum inhalation use concentrations for flavor compounds. The absence of a prohibition entry does not mean a compound is safe for use at any concentration.

Category Based Restrictions

Certain EU TPD prohibitions apply to categories rather than individual compounds. For example, determining whether an additive facilitates inhalation or nicotine uptake may require expert assessment of its sensory and pharmacological properties. Known examples are flagged, but novel compounds may require additional evaluation.

Netherlands List Scope

The Netherlands positive list applies only to flavouring substances.

This database is intended as a regulatory research and formulation support tool. It should not be considered legal advice. Always verify compliance against the latest published regulations in the target market before finalizing a formulation.

Last verified – June 2026
Regulatory datasets are reviewed following significant legislative updates. Users should independently confirm current regulatory status before commercial use.