Ingredient Index · E1520

Is Propylene Glycol banned in Europe?

Legal in both

No: propylene glycol (E1520) is authorized in both the EU and the US. It is not banned in Europe. The "it is antifreeze" line confuses it with the toxic ethylene glycol, which is a different chemical.

E-number: E1520CAS: 57-55-6 Also seen as: E1520, 1,2-Propanediol, Propane-1,2-diol, PG

What the EU does

Authorized, not banned. Propylene glycol is permitted in the EU as additive E1520, used as a carrier solvent and humectant, for example to carry flavors and colors and to keep some foods moist. It is authorized under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 with maximum levels per category. EFSA reviewed it and kept the acceptable daily intake at 25 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, the figure set back in 1996.

Here is the crucial disambiguation the scare posts skip. Propylene glycol is not ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol is the sweet, genuinely toxic automotive antifreeze that poisons pets and people. Propylene glycol is a different molecule, so low in toxicity that it is used in food, medicines, and even the fog fluid at concerts. It does appear in some non-toxic "pet-safe" antifreeze precisely because it is the safe cousin, which is exactly how the mix-up spreads.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II/III (E1520); EFSA re-evaluation (ADI 25 mg/kg bw/day, unchanged from 1996)

What the US does

Equally legal. The FDA lists propylene glycol as generally recognized as safe (21 CFR 184.1666) for use in food, and it is ubiquitous: in flavor extracts, food coloring, some ice creams and baked goods, and as a solvent in countless medicines and personal-care products. The World Health Organization's expert committee (JECFA) set the same order-of-magnitude intake limit.

So the honest answer is that propylene glycol is legal on both continents and the toxicity claim rests on a name mix-up. The one real-world exception worth naming: the EU does not permit it in a couple of narrow uses where the US does, but that is a use-category detail, not a ban on the substance. Anyone telling you Europe outlawed propylene glycol because it is antifreeze has confused two different chemicals.

Citation 21 CFR 184.1666 (propylene glycol, GRAS); JECFA evaluation

Products that commonly contain it

Propylene glycol is a workhorse solvent and moisture-keeper. It appears in:

Flavor extracts and liquid food colorings
Some ice creams, frostings, and packaged baked goods
Salad dressings and drink mixes
A huge range of medicines, cosmetics, and, yes, theatrical fog fluid

What to look for on a label

What to look for, and what to not confuse it with:

"Propylene glycol" or "E1520" in food; "1,2-propanediol" in chemistry contexts
Do not confuse it with ethylene glycol, the toxic automotive antifreeze; they are different molecules
It also carries flavors in vape liquids and is a common drug solvent, which is unrelated to its food safety
Its presence is a formulation choice, not a red flag

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Frequently asked questions

Is propylene glycol banned in Europe?

No. It is authorized as additive E1520 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with maximum levels per category. EFSA kept the ADI at 25 mg/kg bw/day.

Is propylene glycol the same as antifreeze?

No. Toxic antifreeze is ethylene glycol, a different chemical. Propylene glycol is the low-toxicity cousin, used in food and in "pet-safe" antifreeze precisely because it is far less harmful.

Is propylene glycol legal in the US?

Yes. The FDA lists it as GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1666, and it is widely used in food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Why do people think propylene glycol is dangerous?

Mostly a name mix-up with ethylene glycol, plus its industrial-sounding name. In food-use amounts it has very low toxicity.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed July 6, 2026 · How we assign statuses