Adipic acid in food: ingestion safety
Moderate risk(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Safety profile for Adipic acid relevant to people.
What is adipic acid?
The IUPAC name is hexanedioic acid.
Also known as: hexanedioic acid, Adipinic acid, 1,4-Butanedicarboxylic acid, Adilactetten.
- IUPAC name
- hexanedioic acid
- CAS number
- 124-04-9
- Molecular formula
- C6H10O4
- Molecular weight
- 146.14 g/mol
- SMILES
- C(CCC(=O)O)CC(=O)O
- PubChem CID
- 196
Risk for people
Moderate riskRegulatory consensus
3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Adipic acid. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA | — | — | |
| EMA | — | — | |
| ECHA | — | — |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where you encounter adipic acid
- nylon-6,6 production
- food acidulant
- polyurethane production
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Adipic acid:
-
Bio-based adipic acid (from glucose fermentation)
Trade-offs: Identical product from renewable feedstock. Currently at pilot scale. Eliminates N₂O process emissions.Relative cost: 1.5-2× (expected to reach parity at scale)
-
Sebacic acid (from castor oil)
Trade-offs: Higher carbon chain → different polymer properties. Lower melting point nylon. Fully bio-derived.Relative cost: 2-3×
Frequently asked questions
What products contain adipic acid?
Adipic acid appears in: nylon-6,6 production; food acidulant; polyurethane production.
See Adipic acid in the food app
Look up products containing adipic acid, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in food View raw API dataSources (1)
- ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 124-04-9 — reference
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →