Body & Beauty / Compounds / Propyl gallate

Propyl gallate on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Propyl gallate (PG) is a synthetic antioxidant — the n-propyl ester of gallic acid — used to retard oxidative rancidity in fats, oils, and fat-containing foods. It is one of the four primary synthetic antioxidants permitted in US food (alongside BHA, BHT, and TBHQ) and is authorized as E310 in the EU. FDA permits propyl gallate at 0.02% of the fat or oil content in foods; it is found in edible fats and oils, shortenings, meat products, baked goods, and chewing gum base. Propyl gallate is not classified as a carcinogen by IARC. JECFA established an ADI of 0–3.6 mg/kg bw/day. Dietary exposure estimates place typical consumer intakes well below the ADI. Propyl gallate has weak estrogenic activity in in vitro assays — the significance of this in vitro finding for human endocrine disruption at dietary exposure levels is unclear, and regulatory risk assessments have not elevated propyl gallate to an endocrine disruption concern category. The main clinically documented adverse effect is contact dermatitis and oral/GI mucosal hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals, including cross-reactions with other gallate esters. Individuals with aspirin sensitivity or salicylate intolerance may exhibit cross-reactions. EFSA's 2014 re-evaluation set an ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw/day (more conservative than JECFA) based on updated NOAELs and confirmed safety at EU permitted use levels.

What is propyl gallate?

The IUPAC name is propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate.

Also known as: propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, N-Propyl gallate, Progallin P, Gallic acid, propyl ester.

IUPAC name: propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate
CAS number: 121-79-9
Molecular formula: C10H12O5
Molecular weight: 212.2 g/mol
SMILES: CCCOC(=O)C1=CC(=C(C(=C1)O)O)O
PubChem CID: 4947

Risk for people

Low risk

Propyl gallate (PG) is a synthetic antioxidant — the n-propyl ester of gallic acid — used to retard oxidative rancidity in fats, oils, and fat-containing foods. It is one of the four primary synthetic antioxidants permitted in US food (alongside BHA, BHT, and TBHQ) and is authorized as E310 in the EU. FDA permits propyl gallate at 0.02% of the fat or oil content in foods; it is found in edible fats and oils, shortenings, meat products, baked goods, and chewing gum base. Propyl gallate is not classified as a carcinogen by IARC. JECFA established an ADI of 0–3.6 mg/kg bw/day. Dietary exposure estimates place typical consumer intakes well below the ADI. Propyl gallate has weak estrogenic activity in in vitro assays — the significance of this in vitro finding for human endocrine disruption at dietary exposure levels is unclear, and regulatory risk assessments have not elevated propyl gallate to an endocrine disruption concern category. The main clinically documented adverse effect is contact dermatitis and oral/GI mucosal hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals, including cross-reactions with other gallate esters. Individuals with aspirin sensitivity or salicylate intolerance may exhibit cross-reactions. EFSA's 2014 re-evaluation set an ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw/day (more conservative than JECFA) based on updated NOAELs and confirmed safety at EU permitted use levels.

Regulatory consensus

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Propyl gallate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

Agency	Year	Classification
EPA CTX / Genetox	—	Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: negative, 3 positive / 6 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox	—	Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: negative, 3 positive / 6 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye	—	Skin Sensitization: Skin Sens. 1 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye	—	Skin Sensitization: Category 1 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye	—	Eye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye	—	Skin Irritation: Category 6.3B (Category 3) (score: moderate)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye	—	Skin Sensitization: Category 6.5B (Category 1) (score: moderate)

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 propyl gallate

Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
Personal Care — shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cosmetics, sunscreen
Fragrance — perfume, cologne, scented personal care products, household fragrance products, candles
Identified in Fragrance Ingredient Safety Priority Research database (2,325 ingredients)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Propyl gallate:

Fragrance-free formulations
Trade-offs: Consumer preference for scented products

Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
Essential oil-based fragrances (with disclosure)
Trade-offs: Natural does not mean safe — many essential oils are skin sensitizers

Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain propyl gallate?

Propyl gallate appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments); shampoo (Personal care).

Why do regulators disagree about propyl gallate?

Propyl gallate has been classified by 7 agencies including EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Propyl gallate in the body app

Look up products containing propyl gallate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (2)

US FDA: Propyl Gallate — 21 CFR 172.615, Permitted Antioxidant in Fats and Oils, 0.02% Fat Content Limit, GRAS Status, JECFA ADI 3.6 mg/kg bw/day, and GI Mucosal Sensitivity Reports (2022) (2022) — regulatory
EFSA Panel on Food Additives: Re-evaluation of Propyl Gallate (E310) as a Food Additive — ADI 0.5 mg/kg bw/day, Dietary Exposure Assessment Across Age Groups, Weak Estrogenicity In Vitro Data Assessment, and Gallate Ester Cross-Sensitivity (EFSA Journal 2014;12(4):3642) (2014) — regulatory

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 →