Smoke flavoring (Liquid smoke)

No E-numberFlavor enhancersOrigin: Plant

Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

The flavor is condensed wood smoke. A carrier oil, if any, is a separate ingredient.

Gluten-freeYes

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoYes

The dose is a flavor.

Low-FODMAPYes

The short answer

Smoke flavoring is condensed wood smoke added as a flavor. The EU removed its ten authorized primary products from the list in 2024, with a long tail for meat, fish and cheese until July 2029. The US still allows it.

40/100

Best to avoid

Controversial, restricted or banned somewhere.

E-numberNone

Comes fromPlant

What it doesFlavor enhancers

Glycemic index—

Daily limitNot set

Also calledSmoke flavoring, Liquid smoke

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved

🇪🇺 European UnionBanned

🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved

CaliforniaNo extra rules

The United States and Canada still permit smoke flavorings. In the EU, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2067 deleted the ten authorized smoke-flavoring primary products, SF-001 through SF-010, from the Union list. EFSA's 2023 opinions found genotoxicity concerns that could not be ruled out. Foods other than cheese, meat and fish lost the transition period on 1 July 2026. Cheese, meat, processed fish and fish roe keep a transition until 1 July 2029. Traditional smoking of a food is a process, not this additive, and the regulation is about the flavoring.

Daily limit: No safe daily amount has been set.

What is it?

Liquid smoke is a brown concentrate. A few drops taste like a grill. Sauces, snacks and deli meats use it so the factory does not have to run a smokehouse.

Where it comes from: Smoke flavoring is made by burning wood, condensing the smoke, and refining that condensate into a liquid or a powder. It is not the char on a grilled pepper. It is a flavor ingredient added to the recipe.

Why it’s in food

Adds a grilled taste without a smokehouse
Flavors sauces and snacks
Colors a marinade brown
Replaces hours of traditional smoking

Often found in

Barbecue sauceDeli meatsSnacks and chipsPlant-based meatsCheese in some marketsCanned fish

Also listed as: Smoke flavoring, Liquid smoke, Smoke flavor, Natural smoke flavor

Health & gut impact

Genotoxicity concernsConcern

EFSA's 2023 assessments of the smoke flavorings up for renewal could not rule out genotoxicity. The Commission then refused to renew the authorizations.

EFSA 2023 smoke-flavoring opinions; Regulation (EU) 2024/2067

A phase-out, not a single dayUnder study

Most foods in the EU were done with the transition on 1 July 2026. Cheese, meat, processed fish and fish roe may continue until 1 July 2029.

Regulation (EU) 2024/2067

What can I use instead?

Real wood smoke

Ratio: Smoke the food, and do not add the condensate

Best for: A grill or a smoker

Paprika

Ratio: You get color and a mild warmth, not smoke

Best for: A dry rub

More flavor enhancers:

Artificial flavors (Artificial flavoring)Artificial flavor means the aroma was synthesized, not extracted from the food it tastes like. The category is allowed. Vegan, halal and kosher status still depends on the carrier.Use in moderation Brewer's yeastBrewer's yeast is yeast left over from making beer. It is bitter, it may contain barley gluten, and it is not the cheesy flake called nutritional yeast.Use in moderation Diacetyl (Butanedione)Diacetyl is the buttery flavor molecule. The FDA lists it as a GRAS flavor. Breathing the vapor at work has harmed lungs. Eating the trace in a food is the exposure the GRAS rule is about.Use in moderation Disodium Guanylate E627Disodium guanylate (E627) is a savory booster used with MSG. It's usually made from yeast, but can come from fish, so check for a vegan label.Generally safe

Common questions

Is liquid smoke banned in Europe?

The ten authorized primary products were taken off the Union list in 2024. By November 2026 the general transition has ended. Meat, fish and cheese have until 1 July 2029.

Is it the same as grilling?

No. Grilling is a process. Liquid smoke is a flavor ingredient made from condensed smoke.

Is Smoke flavoring safe?

Best to avoid (40/100). The United States and Canada still permit smoke flavorings. In the EU, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2067 deleted the ten authorized smoke-flavoring primary products, SF-001 through SF-010, from the Union list. EFSA's 2023 opinions found genotoxicity concerns that could not be ruled out. Foods other than cheese, meat and fish lost the transition period on 1 July 2026. Cheese, meat, processed fish and fish roe keep a transition until 1 July 2029. Traditional smoking of a food is a process, not this additive, and the regulation is about the flavoring.

Is Smoke flavoring vegan?

Yes. The flavor is condensed wood smoke. A carrier oil, if any, is a separate ingredient.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

EFSA 2023 smoke-flavoring opinions; Regulation (EU) 2024/2067
Regulation (EU) 2024/2067