Official EU label nameGlossary entry 16106

MEK

This record confirms an official common ingredient name for EU cosmetic product labelling. It does not by itself confirm that the substance is permitted, unrestricted or safe.

Global evidence snapshot

The resolved identity has matching regulatory evidence in 0 of 13 indexed market datasets: 0 country records and 0 EU Annex records. Every result and evidence gap is listed below.

0 markets with evidence

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Markets with evidence

Evidence gaps

Resolved identifiers

Resolved substance identity

CAS:78-93-3

EC:201-159-0

Ingredient index records:

MEK

Cosmetic functions: PERFUMING, SOLVENT

Butanone

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1 matched or reported name

MEK

Regulatory evidence across markets

None of the 13 markets tracked here holds an imported rule under the name MEK.

That is a statement about this inventory, not about the law: no imported rule is not evidence that a substance is permitted. A rule may exist under a different name, under a CAS or EC number this glossary entry does not carry, or in a dataset not yet imported.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 78-93-3

CAS 78-93-3PubChem CID 6569

Methyl Ethyl Ketone

2-Butanone is a manufactured chemical but it is also present in the environment from natural sources. It is a colorless liquid with a sharp, sweet odor. It is also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). 2-Butanone is produced in large quantities. Nearly half of its use is in paints and other coatings because it will quickly evaporate into the air and it dissolves many substances. It is also used in glues and as a cleaning agent. 2-Butanone occurs as a natural product. It is made by some trees and found in some fruits and vegetables in small amounts. It is also released to the air from car and truck exhausts. — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

IUPAC name: butan-2-one

Molecular formula: C4H8O
Molecular weight: 72.11 g/mol
Exact mass: 72.057514874 Da
XLogP3: 0.3
Topological polar surface area: 17.1 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 1
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

2-ButanoneButanoneEthyl methyl ketoneMethylethyl ketoneMeetcoMethyl acetoneMethylethylketone3-Butanone

16 more reported names

EthylmethylketonAethylmethylketonButanone 2Acetone, methyl-Ethyl methyl cetoneMetiletilchetoneMetyloetyloketonKetone, ethyl methylMetyl ethyl ketoneMetiletilcetonaRCRA waste number U159EthylmethylcetoneFEMA No. 21706PT9KLV9IOAI3-07540 (USDA)EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 044103

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External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:28398
ChEMBL:CHEMBL15849
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID3021516
PubMed:33358762
PubMed:33064461
PubMed:23082109
PubMed:23065996
PubMed:22987591
PubMed:22929904
PubMed:22925878
PubMed:22901407
PubMed:22732480
PubMed:22726261
PubMed:22698369
PubMed:22696799

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Additional authoritative substance research

Each link searches that source for this identity. A link is a research route, not a claim that the source holds an exact record. What each source is, and its legal weight

Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal US EPA CompTox CTX APIs

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Official source and scope

Imported from Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 (dataset version EU 2025/1175). The glossary supplies common ingredient names for the ingredient list required by Article 19(1)(g); it is not an approval or safety list.

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