Cetylpyridinium chloride
123-03-5 · 1-Cetylpyridinium chloride · 1-Palmitylpyridinium chloride · Acetoquat CPC · Aktivex · Alcohol Free · Ammonyx CPC · Antiplaque solution · Antispetic · Biosept · BioShell · Breath mellow Azalea Peach · BreathAway · Catamium · Ceeprin chloride · Ceepryn · Ceepryn chloride · Cepacol · Cepacol chloride · Ceprim · Cetamium · Cetilpiridinio cloruro · Cetyl pyridinium chloride · Cetylpyridini chloridum · Cetylpyridinii chloridum · cetylpyridinium chloride · CETYLPYRIDINIUM CHLORIDE ANHYDROUS · Chloride, Ceepryn · Chlorure de cetylpyridinium · CleanZing · Cloruro de cetilpiridinio · Corinz · CVS Antiseptic · Dobendan · E-zen Gargle · Fixanol C · Gppe dental rinse · Gppe oral liq · Health · hexadecylpyridinium chloride · Intexsan CPC · Medilave · Merocet · Merocets plus · Merovit · mouth fresh · mouthwash · Multi-Action Antiseptic · N-Cetylpyridinium chloride · N-Hexadecylpyridinium chloride · Pristacin · Pyridinium, 1-hexadecyl-, chloride (1:1) · Pyrisept · QCare · Quaternario CPC · Scope · Scope Icy Blast · Search · Swabettes Hoechst · TheraStom · Cetylpyridinium chlorideCetylpyridinium chloride is an antimicrobial applied to poultry carcasses during processing. It is more familiar as the active ingredient in some mouthwashes.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Permitted, with conditions | 21 CFR 173.375retrieved 2026-09-07 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
What it is made from
Produced by chemical synthesis from pyridine and a long-chain alkyl chloride. The alkyl chain may derive from plant or animal fats.
- Vegan status depends on the source
- Vegetarian status depends on the source
- May raise a halal question
- May raise a kosher question
This is not an omission. What this additive is made from is not fixed — depending on the manufacturer it may be plant, animal or microbial in origin, nobody is required to say which, and the same product can change source between production runs. Ask the manufacturer if it matters to you; a label cannot answer it.
- InChIKey
- YMKDRGPMQRFJGP-UHFFFAOYSA-M
- PubChem
- CID 31239
Every name it appears under
61 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 123-03-5
As it appears in regulation
- Cetylpyridinium chloride
Other names
- 1-Cetylpyridinium chloride
- 1-Palmitylpyridinium chloride
- Acetoquat CPC
- Aktivex
- Alcohol Free
- Ammonyx CPC
- Antiplaque solution
- Antispetic
- Biosept
- BioShell
- Breath mellow Azalea Peach
- BreathAway
- Catamium
- Ceeprin chloride
- Ceepryn
- Ceepryn chloride
- Cepacol
- Cepacol chloride
- Ceprim
- Cetamium
- Cetilpiridinio cloruro
- Cetyl pyridinium chloride
- Cetylpyridini chloridum
- Cetylpyridinii chloridum
- cetylpyridinium chloride
- CETYLPYRIDINIUM CHLORIDE ANHYDROUS
- Chloride, Ceepryn
- Chlorure de cetylpyridinium
- CleanZing
- Cloruro de cetilpiridinio
- Corinz
- CVS Antiseptic
- Dobendan
- E-zen Gargle
- Fixanol C
- Gppe dental rinse
- Gppe oral liq
- Health
- hexadecylpyridinium chloride
- Intexsan CPC
- Medilave
- Merocet
- Merocets plus
- Merovit
- mouth fresh
- mouthwash
- Multi-Action Antiseptic
- N-Cetylpyridinium chloride
- N-Hexadecylpyridinium chloride
- Pristacin
- Pyridinium, 1-hexadecyl-, chloride (1:1)
- Pyrisept
- QCare
- Quaternario CPC
- Scope
- Scope Icy Blast
- Search
- Swabettes Hoechst
- TheraStom
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Sources for this page
- ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/cetylpyridinium-chloride.json