Ethyl maltol
Function: Flavour enhancers
E637 is the European food-additive number for Ethyl maltol, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Ethyl maltol (E637) is a food additive used as a food additive.
What is E637 used for?
Ethyl maltol (E637) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Flavour enhancers (E-numbers).
Is E637 safe or restricted?
E637 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No known concern” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E637 vegan or vegetarian?
Ethyl maltol (E637) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E637?
E637 appears in 139 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Gelatin / Agar, Chocolate Candy, and Instant Noodles.
- Gelatin / Agar10
- Chocolate Candy8
- Instant Noodles6
- Cakes5
- Baby Food3
- Ice Cream3
- Cream-Filled Cookies3
- Soda Water / Club Soda3
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E637 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E637
- What is E637?
- E637 is the E-number for Ethyl maltol, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Ethyl maltol (E637) is a food additive used as a food additive.
- What is E637 used for?
- Ethyl maltol (E637) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E637?
- E637 appears in 139 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Gelatin / Agar, Chocolate Candy, and Instant Noodles. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E637 vegan or vegetarian?
- Ethyl maltol (E637) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E637 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E637 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as ‘No known concern’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E637 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.