{
  "$schema": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/api/v1/schema.json",
  "id": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/dimethyl-dicarbonate",
  "slug": "dimethyl-dicarbonate",
  "name": "Dimethyl dicarbonate",
  "identifiers": {
    "e_number": "E242",
    "ins_number": "242",
    "cas_number": "4525-33-1",
    "inchikey": "GZDFHIJNHHMENY-UHFFFAOYSA-N",
    "pubchem_cid": 3086
  },
  "functional_class": "Preservative",
  "summary": "Dimethyl dicarbonate is a cold sterilant for beverages, added just before bottling to kill yeasts and moulds without heating the drink. It breaks down to methanol and carbon dioxide within hours.",
  "derivation_summary": "A synthetic compound made from methanol and phosgene chemistry. It is designed to disappear: it is not present in the drink by the time it is opened.",
  "regulatory_status": [
    {
      "jurisdiction": "US",
      "jurisdiction_name": "United States",
      "authority": "Food and Drug Administration",
      "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
      "status_label": "Permitted, with conditions",
      "provision_count": 1,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": null,
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": null,
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": null,
          "citation": {
            "ref": "21 CFR 172.133",
            "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.133"
          },
          "source": "ecfr",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T18:25:51.549Z"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "CODEX",
      "jurisdiction_name": "Codex Alimentarius",
      "authority": "Codex Alimentarius Commission / JECFA",
      "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
      "status_label": "Permitted, with conditions",
      "provision_count": 8,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.1.2",
            "name": "Fruit and vegetable juices"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: XS247 & XS356R",
          "effective_from": "2026",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.1.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.1.3",
            "name": "Fruit and vegetable nectars"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: XS247",
          "effective_from": "2024",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.1.3",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.1.4",
            "name": "Water-based flavoured drinks, including \"sport,\" “energy,” or \"electrolyte\" drinks and particulated drinks"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "1999",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.1.4",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.1.5",
            "name": "Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, and other hot cereal and grain beverages, excluding cocoa"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "2004",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.1.5",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.2.2",
            "name": "Cider and perry"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "2004",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.2.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.2.3",
            "name": "Grape wines"
          },
          "max_level": 200,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "2004",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.2.3",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.2.4",
            "name": "Wines (other than grape)"
          },
          "max_level": 250,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "2004",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.2.4",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "14.2.5",
            "name": "Mead"
          },
          "max_level": 200,
          "max_level_unit": "mg/kg",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 18",
          "effective_from": "2004",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 242, food category 14.2.5",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "names": [
    {
      "name": "4525-33-1",
      "type": "cas",
      "source": "ecfr"
    },
    {
      "name": "Baycovin; DEPA;Dekapex; Diethyl dicarbonate;Ue 5908",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dicarbonic acid, 1,3-dimethyl ester",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dicarbonic acid, C,C'-dimethyl ester",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dicarbonic acid, dimethyl ester",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl dicarbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl dicarbonate, for histidine methylation",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl oxydiformate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl pyrocarbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl pyrocarbonate; Methyl pyrocarbonate; Pyrocarbonic acid dimethyl ester; Velcorin",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyldicarbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "dimethylpyrocarbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "DMDC",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "E 242",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Formic acid, oxydi-, dimethyl ester",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Formic acid, oxydi-, dimethyl ester (7CI,8CI)",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "HSDB 8117",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "INS NO.242",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "INS-242",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "methoxycarbonyl methyl carbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "methoxycarbonyl methyl carbonate;DMPC Dimethyl pyrocarbonate Pyrocarbonic acid dimethyl ester;",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Methyl pyrocarbonate",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pyrocarbonic acid dimethyl ester",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Velcorin",
      "type": "common",
      "source": "pubchem"
    },
    {
      "name": "E242",
      "type": "e_number",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "242",
      "type": "ins",
      "source": "gsfa"
    },
    {
      "name": "methoxycarbonyl methyl carbonate",
      "type": "iupac",
      "source": "openfoodtox"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dimethyl dicarbonate",
      "type": "label",
      "source": "ecfr"
    }
  ],
  "hazard_reference_values": [],
  "sources": [
    {
      "key": "ecfr",
      "name": "Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21",
      "publisher": "U.S. Government Publishing Office / National Archives",
      "licence": "Public domain",
      "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-31/title-21.xml",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T18:25:51.549Z"
    },
    {
      "key": "gsfa",
      "name": "Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CXS 192-1995)",
      "publisher": "Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO)",
      "licence": "FAO terms — non-commercial use with attribution",
      "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
    }
  ],
  "citation_policy": "Cite as: Food Additive Index, \"Dimethyl dicarbonate\", https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/dimethyl-dicarbonate. This site reports regulatory status and does not rate additives.",
  "generated_at": "2026-09-08T00:09:38.505Z"
}