Food & Drink / Compounds / Cellulose Acetate

Cellulose Acetate in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

Low_to_moderate risk based on available hazard data.

What is cellulose acetate?

Also known as: Cellulose, acetate, Acetylcellulose, Celluloseacetat, أسيتات السليولوز.

CAS number
9004-35-7

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Low_to_moderate risk based on available hazard data.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Cellulose Acetate.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
Unknown

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 cellulose acetate

  • Processed FoodsPackaged foods, Beverages, Supplements
  • Consumer ProductsCosmetics, Pharmaceuticals

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Cellulose Acetate:

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is cellulose acetate safe for you?

Low_to_moderate risk based on available hazard data.

What products contain cellulose acetate?

Cellulose Acetate appears in: Packaged foods (Processed foods); Beverages (Processed foods); Cosmetics (Consumer products); Pharmaceuticals (Consumer products).

See Cellulose Acetate in the food app

Look up products containing cellulose acetate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (2)

  1. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID401010898 — epa
  2. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 9004-35-7 — 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 →