Skip to main content
CosIng Checker
CosIng Checker
EU cosmetic ingredients, restrictions and safety
Login
InventoryRef 3986202/03/2011

ETHYL FORMATE

Ethyl methanoate

ETHYL FORMATE is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

INCI CheckerCompare all markets Search similar

Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

Markets and their official sourcesSearch every market for this name

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 109-94-4
CAS 109-94-4PubChem CID 8025

Ethyl formate

Ethyl formate is a formate ester resulting from the formal condensation of formic acid with ethanol. It has a role as a fumigant and a plant metabolite. It is an ethyl ester and a formate ester. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
ethyl formate
Molecular formula
C3H6O2
Molecular weight
74.08 g/mol
Exact mass
74.036779430 Da
XLogP3
0.5
Topological polar surface area
26.3 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

AreginalFormic acid, ethyl esterEthyl methanoateEthyl formic esterAethylformiatFormic etherEthylformiaatMrowczan etylu
16 more reported names
Carboxylic acid oxaethaneEthyle (formiate d')Etile (formiato di)FEMA No. 2434Ethyl ester of formic acidEthylester kyseliny mravenci0K3E2L5553NSC-406578CHEBI:52342RefChem:5811203-721-0Formic acid ethyl esterEthylformic esterNSC 406578ethylformiatEtile(formiato di)
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Evidence from additional scientific databases

NIH PubChem PUG-View
Exact identifier match8025

Attributed physical-property, hazard, environmental and use annotations.

  • First Aid: Excerpt from NIOSH Pocket Guide for Ethyl formate:; Eye: IRRIGATE IMMEDIATELY - If this chemical contacts the eyes, immediately wash (irrigate) the eyes with large amounts of water, occasionally lifting the lower and upper lids. Get medical attention immediately.; Skin: WATER FLUSH IMMEDIATELY - If this chemical contacts the skin, immediately flush the contaminated skin with water. If this chemical penetrates the clothing, immediately remove the clothing and flush the skin with water. Get medical attention promptly.; Breathing: RESPIRATORY SUPPORT - If a person breathes large amounts of this chemical, move the exposed person to fresh air at once. If breathing has stopped, perform artificial respiration. Keep the affected person warm and at rest. Get medical attention as soon as possible.; Swallow: MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY - If this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention immediately. (NIOSH, 2024) Source: CAMEO Chemicals
  • ERG2024, Guide 129 (Ethyl formate): General First Aid:; · Call 911 or emergency medical service.; · Ensure that medical personnel are aware of the material(s) involved, take precautions to protect themselves and avoid contamination.; · Move victim to fresh air if it can be done safely.; · Administer oxygen if breathing is difficult.; · If victim is not breathing:; -- DO NOT perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; the victim may have ingested or inhaled the substance.; -- If equipped and pulse detected, wash face and mouth, then give artificial respiration using a proper respiratory medical device (bag-valve mask, pocket mask equipped with a one-way valve or other device).; -- If no pulse detected or no respiratory medical device available, provide continuous compressions. Conduct a pulse check every two minutes or monitor for any signs of spontaneous respirations.; · Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes.; · For minor skin contact, avoid spreading material on unaffected skin.; · In case of contact with substance, remove immediately by flushing skin or eyes with running water for at least 20 minutes.; · For severe burns, immediate medical attention is required.; · Effects of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, Source: Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
  • First Aid: (General first aid procedures); Eye: Irrigate immediately - If this chemical contacts the eyes, immediately wash (irrigate) the eyes with large amounts of water, occasionally lifting the lower and upper lids. Get medical attention immediately.; Skin: Water flush immediately - If this chemical contacts the skin, immediately flush the contaminated skin with water. If this chemical penetrates the clothing, immediately remove the clothing and flush the skin with water. Get medical attention promptly.; Breathing: Respiratory support; Swallow: Medical attention immediately - If this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention immediately. Source: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Signal: Danger Source: Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H225: Highly Flammable liquid and vapor [Danger Flammable liquids]; H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]; H332: Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]; H335: May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation] Source: Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  • Precautionary Statement Codes: P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P280, P301+P317, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P317, P319, P330, P337+P317, P370+P378, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
  • Note: This chemical does not meet GHS hazard criteria for 0.6% (11 of 1923) of reports. Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Signal: Danger Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H225 (99.4%): Highly Flammable liquid and vapor [Danger Flammable liquids]; H302 (99.3%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H319 (99.4%): Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]; H332 (99.3%): Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]; H335 (99.4%): May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation] Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Precautionary Statement Codes: P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P280, P301+P317, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P317, P319, P330, P337+P317, P370+P378, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • ECHA C&L Notifications Summary: Aggregated GHS information provided per 1923 reports by companies from 21 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.; Reported as not meeting GHS hazard criteria per 11 of 1923 reports by companies.; There are 20 notifications provided by 1912 of 1923 reports by companies with hazard statement code(s).; Information may vary between notifications depending on impurities, additives, and other factors. The percentage value in parenthesis indicates the notified classification ratio from companies that provide hazard codes. Only hazard codes with percentage values above 10% are shown. For more detailed information, please visit ECHA C&L website. Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Signal: Danger Source: NITE-CMC
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H225: Highly Flammable liquid and vapor [Danger Flammable liquids]; H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]; H332: Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]; H336: May cause drowsiness or dizziness [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Narcotic effects]; H370: Causes damage to organs [Danger Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure] Source: NITE-CMC
  • Precautionary Statement Codes: P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P260, P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P280, P301+P317, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P308+P316, P317, P319, P321, P330, P337+P317, P370+P378, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: NITE-CMC
  • GHS Hazard Statements: H225: Highly Flammable liquid and vapor [Danger Flammable liquids]; H302: Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H319: Causes serious eye irritation [Warning Serious eye damage/eye irritation]; H333: May be harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]; H335: May cause respiratory irritation [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation]; H336: May cause drowsiness or dizziness [Warning Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Narcotic effects] Source: NITE-CMC
  • NFPA Health Rating: 2 - Materials that, under emergency conditions, can cause temporary incapacitation or residual injury. Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • NFPA Fire Rating: 3 - Liquids and solids that can be ignited under almost all ambient temperature conditions. Materials produce hazardous atmospheres with air under almost all ambient temperatures or, though unaffected by ambient temperatures, are readily ignited under almost all conditions. Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • NFPA Instability Rating: 0 - Materials that in themselves are normally stable, even under fire conditions. Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Bioconcentration: Ethyl formate did not bioconcentrate in rainbow trout(1). Using a reported log octanol/water partition coefficient of 0.23(2), a BCF of 0.88 is estimated using a regression equation giving additional indication that ethyl formate should not bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms. Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: TERRESTRIAL FATE: If released to soil, ethyl formate would readily volatilize from the surface layers of soil as well as leach. While no data were located concerning the degradation in soil, it would be expected to readily degrade by chemical hydrolysis, especially in alkaline soil, and biodegrade. (SRC) Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: AQUATIC FATE: Ethyl formate has a relatively high Henry's Law constant of 3.85X10-4 atm-cu m/mol(1) and if released to water, it will be lost due to evaporation. A volatilization half-life of 4.5 hrs was predicted for ethyl formate from a model river 1 m deep, flowing at 1 m/sec with a wind velocity of 3 m/sec(2,SRC). It would not be expected to sorb to sediment or bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms. Chemical hydrolysis will be an important fate process, especially in alkaline waters. The hydrolytic half-life is 3.1 days and 7.5 hr at pH 7 and 8, respectively(3,SRC). Based on limited data from screening tests supplemented by predictions of mathematical models and data on similar chemicals, ethyl formate should rapidly biodegrade(SRC). Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
  • Environmental Fate: ATMOSPHERIC FATE: The half-life of ethyl formate in the atmosphere is estimated to be 11 days as a result of reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals(1). Being fairly soluble in water, it should be readily washed out of the air by rain(SRC). Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Mapped by: Existing checksum-valid CAS to unique PubChem CID match. Retrieved: 2026-08-31. Open source record

Scientific classifications and hazard annotations provide context and do not replace the market-specific regulatory decision shown above.

Additional source coverage and match status
SourceResultChecked
NIH PubChem PUG-ViewExact match2026-08-31

A recorded no-match is useful evidence that the source was checked; it is not a claim that the substance does not exist elsewhere.

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

Inventory details for ETHYL FORMATE

INCI name

ETHYL FORMATE

Description

Ethyl methanoate

Record provenance

Inventory reference
39862
Imported identity
ETHYL FORMATE
Source update
02/03/2011
European Commission CosIng source notes
Browse

Browse EU annexes

Explore Annex II–VI to see which substances are prohibited, restricted or permitted under specific conditions.

Search

Search annex entries

Search the annex database for entries matching ETHYL FORMATE or related substances.

Key data

CAS
109-94-4
EC
203-721-0
Restriction
—
Function
PERFUMING
Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

ETHYL DIMETHYLOCTADIENOATEPERFUMING
ETHYL ETHYLDIMETHYLCYCLOHEXENE-1-CARBOXYLATEPERFUMING
ETHYL ETHYLHEXANOATEPERFUMING
ETHYL ETHYLTRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXENECARBOXYLATEPERFUMING
ETHYL GERANYL ETHERPERFUMING
ETHYL HEPTANOATEPERFUMING
ETHYL HEXANOATEPERFUMING
ETHYL HYDROXYHEPTYL KETONEPERFUMING

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicalsPubChem PUG RESTEU Safety Gate cosmetic product alertsECHA CHEMUS EPA CompToxCosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessmentsFDA Global Substance Registration SystemILO/WHO International Chemical Safety CardsJapan NITE-CHRIPNIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical HazardsOECD eChemPortal

How ETHYL FORMATE appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists ETHYL FORMATE as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

ETHYL FORMATE is also tagged with 1 cosmetic function in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

ETHYL FORMATE is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, ETHYL FORMATE carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 109-94-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.
View CAS records

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.
Open INCI Checker

Source note for ETHYL FORMATE

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for ETHYL FORMATE from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research ETHYL FORMATE and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

View sourcesView updates

Tools & next steps

Check your formula

Scan a full INCI list to detect ETHYL FORMATE and any linked EU annex restrictions or allergen flags.

INCI Checker

Search similar ingredients

Find other inventory ingredients and annex entries related to ETHYL FORMATE, its identifiers or nearby name variants.

Search