Benzaldehyde
What Is It?
Benzaldehyde is an oily, colorless liquid sometimes referred to as bitter almond oil. In cosmetics and personal care products, Benzaldehyde is used as a denaturantIngredients added to ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol) to make it unsuitable for drinking, usually by imparting an intensely bitter taste. In the United States, the use of denaturants are controlled by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in the Department of Treasury., a flavoring agentIngredients that impart a flavor or a taste to a product., and as a fragrance and can be found in perfumes, shampoo and bath products.
Why Is It Used?
Benzaldehyde imparts a bitter almond flavor and aroma when used in cosmetic products. As a denaturant, the bitter almond flavor makes the products unsuitable for oral consumption.
Scientific Facts
Benzaldehyde occurs naturally in a number of plants, including cherry and peach fruits, and carnation flowers. It can also be acquired from the oil of bitter almonds. In addition to its use in cosmetics and personal care products, Benzaldehyde is considered an important food flavoring agent and is a key ingredient in natural fruit flavors.
Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the safety of Benzaldehyde and determined that it was Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) for use as a flavoring substance. The safety of Benzaldehyde has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Benzaldehyde was safe as used in cosmetic products.
CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel noted that FDA considers Benzaldehyde as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) food additive in the United States and it is legally accepted as a flavoring substance by the European Commission.
The CIREP noted that there was limited irritation and sensitization data available for Benzaldehyde. However, because Benzaldehyde rapidly metabolizes to Benzoic Acid in the skin, the available dermal irritation and sensitization data demonstrating no adverse reactions to Benzoic Acid were considered sufficient to support the safety of Benzaldehyde.
Similarly, UV absorption and phototoxicity data, demonstrating little UV absorption and no phototoxicity, for Benzoic Acid was acceptable in assessing the safety of Benzaldehyde. Based on the literature and on the professional experience of the CIR Expert Panel, Benzaldehyde does not appear to be an irritant or sensitizer.
The CIR Expert Panel noted that Benzaldehyde was studied by the National ToxicologyToxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemical and physical agents on living organisms. Program, which found equivocal evidence regarding carcinogenicity. They noted that several studies have suggested that Benzaldehyde can have carcinostatic or anti-tumor properties.
Overall, at the low concentrations used in cosmetics, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Benzaldehyde did not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans.
FDA: Link to the Code of Federal Regulations for Benzaldehyde
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…
Benzaldehyde may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established an Acceptable Daily Intake of 0-5 mg Benzaldehyde/kg body weight. No safety concern was indicated at current levels of intake when used as a flavoring agent.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jeceval/jec_176.htm
More Scientific Information
Benzaldehyde is an aromatic aldehyde and is the simplest representative of the aromatic aldehydes. At room temperature it is a colorless liquid with a characteristic and pleasant almond-like odor. Benzaldehyde is an important component of the scent of almonds and is the primary component of bitter almond oil extractThe mixture of substances drawn out of a material by solution, heat, or another physical or chemical process..
It can be extracted from a number of other natural sources in which it occurs, such as apricot, cherry, and laurel leaves, peach seeds and, in certain nuts and kernels. Most Benzaldehyde is synthetically made by a number of different processes.
Resources
Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration
Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm
Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…
Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/