Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home EWG’s Skin Deep Guide to Sunscreens Food Scores Healthy Living App Open menu

EWG's Guide to
Healthy Cleaning
Find products and ingredients Learn how the Guide works Discover EWG VERIFIED®
GET UPDATES DONATE
HAZARD SCORE RANGE
Scoring legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES LEARN MORE ABOUT EWG VERIFIED®

HOME / INGREDIENTS / Malic acid


B

MALIC ACID

Substance Image

SEARCH PRODUCTS

COMMONLY FOUND IN

cleaner, all-purpose/multi-surface cleaner, bathroom, general cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, kitchen, general cleaner, degreaser, heavy duty cleaner, counter surface laundry additive, stain remover cleaner, disinfectant laundry detergent pods, powder products for babies

SYNONYMS

99-EP2311818A1, 99-EP2311814A1, 99-EP2311809A1, 99-EP2314574A1, 99-EP2311811A1, 99-EP2311842A2, DL-MALIC ACID, MEETS ANALYTICAL SPECIFICATION OF FCC, E296, 99-100.5% (ALKALIMETRIC), MALIC ACID, PHARMACEUTICAL SECONDARY STANDARD; CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIAL, MALIC ACID, UNITED STATES PHARMACOPEIA (USP) REFERENCE STANDARD, Z940713496

RESTRICTED

EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation.

Common Concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • SOME
    Asthma / Respiratory
  • SOME
    Skin Allergies & Irritation
  • SOME
    Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
  • No Data
    Cancer
  • No Data
    Environment


Top Scoring Factors

Low concern for biodegradation; acute aquatic toxicity; general systemic/organ effects

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUE Level of Concern Source
Collapse content Expand content

Harmful if swallowed

Only in: Household Cleaners

some

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): GHS Data from ECHA Website

may cause respiratory irritation

Only in: Household Cleaners

some

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): GHS Data from ECHA Website

NTP Toxcast scored 1.5-2.5

some

National Toxicology Program (NTP): EWG Toxcast Analysis

Causes serious eye damage

Only in: Household Cleaners

some

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): GHS Data from ECHA Website

Causes skin irritation

Only in: Household Cleaners

some

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): GHS Data from ECHA Website

causes serious eye irritation

Only in: Household Cleaners

some

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): GHS Data from ECHA Website

European Union Ecolabel program data shows this substance has moderate acute toxicity to aquatic life

Only in: Household Cleaners

low

EU Ecolabel: Detergents Ingredients Database

This substance is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) as a food additive by the US Food and Drug Administration

Only in: Household Cleaners

low

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): FDA - Priority based Assessment of Food Additive (PAFA)

EPA's review of industry submitted toxicity data and the potential for human exposure concludes that this substance poses a low risk for human health.

Only in: Household Cleaners

low

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): EPA Hazard-Based Prioritizations - Risks

The European Union Ecolabel program reports this substance is readily biodegradable.

low

EU Ecolabel: Detergents Ingredients Database


Understanding scores

EWG provides information on cleaning product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any.

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Healthy Cleaning ingredient hazard score, from A to F, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG Verified® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.



4

Products with This Ingredient

Whole Foods Market Organic All-Purpose Cleaner, Lemon Zest
Whole Foods Market
Organic All-Purpose Cleaner, Lemon Zest
LOW HAZARD
Dapple All Purpose Wipes, Fragrance-Free
Dapple
All Purpose Wipes, Fragrance-Free
LOW HAZARD
Go by Greenshield Organic Baby Multi-Surface Wipes, Fresh Mint
Go by Greenshield Organic
Baby Multi-Surface Wipes, Fresh Mint
LOW HAZARD
Greenshield Organic Biodegradable Surface Wipes, Fresh
Greenshield Organic
Biodegradable Surface Wipes, Fresh
LOW HAZARD
VIEW ALL PRODUCTS WITH THIS INGREDIENT




Cleaners Healthy Living App Cleaners Healthy Living App

EWG research
on the go

Find personal care, cleaning, and food products on the EWG Healthy Living app.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

EWG research
on the go

Find personal care, cleaning, and food products on the EWG Healthy Living app.

DOWNLOAD THE APP