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Drawback Tutorial

Acids as Flavoring Chemicals

Volatile acids are used for flavoring purposes and must be considered when naming products.  This is particularly important for “natural” compounded flavors, where the source, natural or artificial, of the acid must be noted.  If you do not state explicitly that a volatile acid ingredient is natural, the TTB will assume that it is artificial.  Fixed acids lack either taste or aroma and therefore are not considered flavors.  The following tables list common volatile and fixed acids (acidulants).

Volatile Acids

 

Name

Synonym(s)

acetic

Ethanoic

butyric

 

capric

decanoic; decylic

caproic

hexoic; n-hexylic; pentane-1-carboxylic

caprylic

C-8 acid; n-octoic; n-octylic

formic

 

heptanoic

oenanthic; heptoic; enanthic;oenanthylic

lactic

butyl ester; butyrate; butyl butyrylactate

nonanoic

pelargonic; nonoic; n-nonylic; octane-1-carboxylic

propionic

 

valeric

pentanoic; propylacetic

Volatile acids are used for flavoring purposes.

Lactic acid can also be used as an acidulant.

 

Fixed Acids

 

Name

Synonym(s)

adipic

hexanedioic; 1,4-butanedicarboxylic

citric

2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic

fumaric

allomalenic; boletic; trans-butanedionic; trans-1,2-ethylenedicarboxylic

lactic

butyl ester; butyrate; butyl butyrylactate

malic

hydroxysuccinic; 2-hydroxy-1,4-butanedioic

succinic

butanedioic

tannic

tannin; gallotannic

tartaric

l-2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic; d-a-b-dihydroxysuccinic; l-tartaric

Fixed acids are considered acidulants.

Lactic acid can also be used for flavoring purposes.

Page last reviewed/updated: 06/17/2021