日本語
Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Smoke Flavourings くん液

Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
Purpose
processing agent
On the label
“くん液” (smoke solution), “スモークフレーバー” (smoke flavor), “木酢液” (wood vinegar), “リキッドスモーク” (liquid smoke)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
くん液 (No. 110)
Source and production
Obtained by capturing the gas components generated by burning sugarcane, bamboo, corn, or wood (liquid smoke), or by dry distillation (wood vinegar). It contains 1.0–20.0% as acetic acid (component specifications).

In Japan

  • On the List of Existing Food Additives (list of listed items), its purpose is processing agent. Another name is “スモークフレーバー” (smoke flavor), and the simplified names are “木酢液” (wood vinegar) and “リキッドスモーク” (liquid smoke). Because there is no group name for processing agents, it is written by substance name.
  • The component specifications set benzo[a]pyrene at 10 µg/kg or less.
  • There are no standards for use.

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

  • It is not on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II), so it cannot be used as a food additive in the EU.
  • In the EU, smoke flavourings are not treated as additives but are covered by Regulation (EC) No 2065/2003 as smoke flavourings.
  • After EFSA raised genotoxicity concerns in 2023, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2067 removed the authorized primary smoke products (SF-001 to SF-010) from the EU list. As a transitional measure, foods placed on the market before July 1, 2026 (July 1, 2029 for cheese, meat and processed fish products, and fish roe) can be sold until their best-before or use-by date.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as processing agent

← Back to the food additive database