Safety is a hot-button issue right now, and we're seeing an uptick in folks asking for information about what flavors are safe to vape. To that end, the moderators and myself have hunted high and low for almost 2,000 safety data sheets (SDS). These documents usually (but not always) contain a list of ingredients. I wrote a piece of software which is capable of scanning these PDFs for CAS numbers of chemicals that are known to be dangerous for inhalation.
We stratified these chemicals into two groups: "avoid," and "caution." Flavors to avoid are known to be dangerous to your health when inhaled. Flavors which are cautioned might be fine, but like D/A/AP you will have to make a judgement call as there is no scientific evidence of harm caused at these concentrations.
To avoid:
- Fructose (CAS 57-48-7) - this caramelizes and releases undesirable chemicals when vaporized. Gunks coils and probably bad for your health.
- Molasses (CAS 8052-35-5) - same as fructose, this caramelizes at vaping temps
- Sodium chloride (CAS 7647-14-5) - this is the primary ingredient in table salt and is unpredictable at vaping temps
- Corn syrup (CAS 8029-43-4) - same as fructose and molasses, carmelization of this compound produces unwanted chemical byproducts
- Vitamin E (1406-18-4) - this is not the vitamin E acetate that is in the news, but it is still an oil and should be avoided
Caution:
- Sucralose (CAS 56038-13-2) - Found in many sweeteners so it is hard to avoid, but when heated the chlorine can break off, leaving behind a sugar which can then caramelize
- Furfural (CAS 98-01-1) - this is derived from sugars, so it is unknown but may release undesired volatiles when heated
Now, onto the list.
Flavors to Avoid / Flavors of Caution
If there are other chemicals you think should be on the list, let me know in the comments! We are still trying to get more data sheets and will be updating this document as we get more information.
Thanks for reading, and stay safe!
EDIT I forgot to call out /u/foment_life and /u/EdibleMalfunction for obtaining a ton of SDS for us to review, and the rest of the mod team dedicated to keeping us safer.
Honestly this is a fantastic example of what really need to be turned into an open, sustained and maintained project by the Vaping industry itself.
Perfumers Apprentice = The Flavor Apprentice, TFA, for anyone confused.
TFA's Key Lime, last ingredient is indeed Vitamin E.
I went through 150ml~ of it in the last year, still have about 80ml left... Into the trash you go.
Thanks for this list!
Just FYI, Vitamin E is not the same as Vitamin E acetate, or tocopherol, which was the problem ingredient in the bootleg THC carts that caused all the mess we're presently in.
Please add TFA Slim Mint Cookie to the top of your "avoid" list.
Where inhalation is concerned, it contains an ingredient far worse than any of the ones you listed, cocoa butter - for those not aware, inhaling this repeatedly is a one-way ticket to lipid pneumonia.
Source: in section 3 of TPA's SDS for the flavor you'll see "8002-31-1 Cacao butter 4.85 -9.69 %"
I love the intent of this project, but there is a real gap in terms of data collection that makes it essentially useless.
Collecting SDS in the wild only gives you an idea of what is in a flavor (or any product) that is hazardous for the people in a workplace using it, the fire marshal, or the people transporting it who might encounter a large spill. The only way to analyze these flavors for inhalation safety is to look at the actual ingredients going into them. Sorry to be a debbie downer, but that's just the simple truth here guys/gals.
> is to look at the actual ingredients going into them
That is exactly what I am doing. They list ingredients in the SDS, if we find a component that is known to be hazardous to inhale (not in a workplace setting, but in terms of known carcinogens produced by pyrolysis) then we report it.
I will admit that many manufacturers are omitting all of the ingredients in their SDS, but I don't see how what you describe isn't in line with our methodology.
An SDS only shows compounds that are considered hazardous by OSHA, and that has nothing to do with vape. People have been relying on SDS here for a long time because of belief that it represents an acurate, or even partial ingredient disclosure. It does not.
Well it is often a partial ingredient disclosure, but I agree there are gaps for the reasons you describe and that limits the data we can provide. I would still dispute your characterization of the sheet as "essentially useless."
I feel like having incomplete data is better than no data at all. You are free to disagree with me on this and do your own research.
We will be looking at ways to augment the SDS data to improve both the coverage and the reliability of the data provided.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding the notes under “Caution,” but Wonder Flavours definitely adds sucralose to a lot of their concentrates. Here’s a listing for Crispy Wafer where sucralose is listed as an ingredient.
Unfortunately that's not disclosed in their data sheet for that flavor. Sucralose is one where I feel that our data is lacking due to the way the SDS are prepared. We can do better here.
I will have to consider new ways to integrate scraping to improve the data quality here. I guess I should figure out some disclaimer that we are currently limited to the data in the SDS.
Thank you for the information!
No worries. I just remember browsing through the ingredient lists for a ton of their flavors last year, and sucralose popped up often. I saw that you had sucralose listed with other companys’ flavors, so I just wanted to make sure people knew that it was a common ingredient with WF as well.
>nately that's not disclosed in their data sheet for that flavor. Sucralose is one where I feel that our data is lacking
Sucralose and many vape inhalation hazards are not going to appear on most SDS since it is not a hazard for the workplace or transportation, and this is the main purpose of an SDS in North America.
Hey! Not too long ago I found documentation of the sucralose content on WF website. Here's the .PDF.
Not sure if it's only wholesale but it makes note of being able to contact them for the concentrates listed without sucralose as well.
Thanks for doing God’s work !
3 questions:
1/ There is this post vaping sugar . I saw a few flavors on that post listing ( for example: tfa caramel original and tfa dx caramel original), but not here.
Also, that list stated FW kiwi NATURAL to have sugar syrup , your list stated FW Kiwi to have fructose. So, are these 2 flavor the same thing ? Ive checked on both ATF and ELR , they are listed as 2 different flavors. Really confused here. Maybe avoiding both ?
2/You mentioned furfural , but what about furfuryl alchohol , like in WF bumbleberry ? They say it may cause cancer.
3/ according to Wayne’s post capella super sweet, tfa and flavorah sweetener also have sucralose, dont see them on your caution list. Maybe not on the SDS document so your code didnt detect them ?
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That's a good point, but if you look at the spec sheet there is no corn syrup, only thing that might be cause for concern is Caramel Furanone 3% PG. I will do some additional research on that one. I am not sure where /u/abdada got his data from.
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I will have to do more research, thank you for the tip
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This list is only what the manufacturers are giving us in terms of SDS data. I can't take Wayne or anyone else as gospel here. However I think it is worth adding the sweeteners we know to contain sucralose, I just need to work out the full list.
You can’t only go on their spec sheet, unfortunately.
I haven’t done any DIY science work for years but caramel original may still contain corn syrup.
Check with vendors, too: https://liquidnicotinewholesalers.com/flavor-apprentice-caramel-original.html
It’s also possible TFA reformulated their recipe after I shit on everyone for using sugars in flavor concentrates!
Yes, they did reformulate - we got explicit confirmation last week from TFA that it does not currently contain corn syrup.
Worth noting that LNW has been particularly unhelpful with respect to SDS, for their own flavors or anyone else's.
Also good to note that the SDS is not a list of ingredients nor is it always complete and accurate. It's something, and a few companies (Flavorah and WF come to mind) have gone the extra mile in ruling out the presence of several chemicals of concern when we inquired about them specifically.
We're nowhere near having a complete picture of flavor safety, but I'd argue that we are better off having the information you researched a couple years ago and the information we've been able to assemble here.
Thanks for all of the pioneering work you did in this field!
Thank you so much! ELR gave me that red flag for WF bumbleberry furfuryl alcohol . I did some research, seem like this chemical got some heated debate since it is in cofee and other food and beverage. Furfuryl alcohol (FFA) CAS # 98-00-0
“In California, FFA was added to list of chemicals listed under Proposition 65 as carcinogenic. However, there is no scientific evidence linking FFA with cancer in humans. The listing was based on studies in which FFA was inhaled, rather than consumed. There is no study on FFA occurring naturally in foods.”
It's probably worth noting (for the newer DIYers) that this is just a cautionary list, super helpful of course, but that doesn't mean you can't vape it. It's also not all inclusive, there are a lot of flavors we know very little about the ingredients or how those ingredients interact (even before heat is applied). An MSDS is intended to be referenced for an industrial scale of use. Even water has an MSDS and has personal protective equipment for use, at an industrial scale. The MSDS for isopropyl alcohol says to avoid contact with skin, because it's for an industrial scale, that doesn't mean you can't use rubbing alcohol without gloves. That also doesn't mean we have perfect data for vaping, but it's what we have.
Just something to keep in mind. Definitely not downplaying the list or the purpose behind the research at all. I personally avoid adding sucralose (including Super Sweet and Sweetener), because I think there's a chance it could be harmful. You do whatever you feel comfortable doing.
Just mixed 240ml of TFA citrus punch two days ago! Guess it’s getting disposed of.
Does your bottle list vitamin e? I know it's on the ingredients list on their site. But my bottle doesn't list it.
Also fiy they have a citrus punch 2 that doesn't have vitamin e in it.
It’s also not on the list on nic River, but on the the actual website it is.
Hmm, mine is from nic river also.
Well, I would think if it was an oil, it would separate from the water soluble ingredients. But either way, better safe than sorry. I'm going to order citrus punch 2 and possibly a few mountain dew alternatives. I personally thing the stuff tastes gross. But a close friend of mine had me make him some Baja blast ejuice and he loves it and it's his adv. So I'm probably going to try and find another flavor without any questionable ingredients.
So glad you posted this. I had just ordered TFA citrus punch for a recipe I found.
Just a heads up, they make a citrus punch 2 that does not list vitamin e.
Also I checked my tfa citrus punch last night and it didn't say vitamin e listed on it. But a few people in another thread said their bottle said vitamin e. I know it's listed on their website as an ingredient. Just odd that it's not on my bottle and is on other people's.
Where did all of you buy your individual bottles? It's possible the one you bought was rebottled (by a vendor who bought by at least the gallon and uses his own bottles, while theirs were OEM bottles from TFA?
I know I told you this earlier but I think it's funny that most of the "Avoid" flavors are FW, feels like they're kind of known for putting too much sweetener in everything. Can't take away my Razzleberry though.
Thank you for compiling all of this!
I didn't see razzleberry on the list, been using it for years. Do you have a link to any data? Super interested
Hi All
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Frank here from Wonder Flavours
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I wanted to take the time to answer a few things
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For one on the subject of Vitamin E only 2 of our flavours contain this both in the regular concentrated section, one being Summertime Lemonade not to be confused with Lemonade SC and Citrus Fruit. This is something that would be found more in citrus type flavours
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We do have many different documents available on our website located here : www.diy.wf
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Additionally we do have a document stating the flavours with sucralose here : https://diy.wf/Docs/Sucralose-Content.pdf
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We have 12 flavours being released in the next few days and 2 of them will be added to this list
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Thank you
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Frank
>For one on the subject of Vitamin E only 2 of our flavours contain this both in the regular concentrated section, one being Summertime Lemonade not to be confused with Lemonade SC and Citrus Fruit. This is something that would be found more in citrus type flavours
So it's used as an emulsifier?
TFA spec sheets I am going through my flavor list ATM but suggest others as well
Edit: Should added these flavors for Furfural from TFA:
- Normal Almond Flavor
- Chocolate Coconut Candy Bar
- Banana Kush
- Maple Syrup
- Pecan
- Raisin
Is orange oil, eucalyptus oil, grapefruit oil, lime oil or lemon oil considered safe?
As of right now, I have these oils as part of a "research" detection category that may be promoted to the sheet if I can find more evidence that they cause harm. Too many flavors would be added and I don't want to create a panic without solid evidence. I don't personally consider them problematic right now because they are plant-based lipids, and my understanding is that these cannot cause pneumonia unless inhaled at industrial concentrations.
Hey, something to comment about Flavour Art? Here at Brasil they are very popular.
Sorry about that, I forgot to add them - we didn't find anything in the FA data sheets, but be warned that almost 30% of those sheets list zero ingredients, so we aren't 100% sure that they are clean, just as confident as we can be.
What's the situation with cream/custard/butter flavors?
Just order a 120 of tfa pear from bull city. Wasted 8 bucks. Can anyone recommend a pear for a honey pearry clone?
Why did you waste it?
It’s on the caution list? Am I wrong?
Thanks 4 the great job. This very important... But i think we can go much further then this. I think we coul create an independent team who would resarch every ingredient and analyze every flavor on the market and create a public safety data bank. If every one of us would put 10$ (just a number) i think we could creat a very powerful independent entity to protect our safety.
A master list would be awesome! To be on the "safe" side, these are the ingredients I try to avoid:
Sucralose Acetoin Ethyl Alcohol Citric Acid Vitamin E Triethyl Citrate Acetylpropionyl Pulegone
I primarily use TFA and these ingredients are found in quite a few of their flavors.
Are their other ingredients that I should add to my list?
There should probably also be a rating system to go with the master list that ranks the level of caution that should be used for each ingredient and/or flavor.
This would be a lot of work but would be so helpful!!!
D/A/AP are present at concentrations low enough that we have omitted them from this list. Ethyl Alcohol and citric acid are present in hundreds if not thousands of flavors and are not known as substances of concern.
Triethyl citrate is known to me, pulegone is not. I will do some research and speak with the other people working with me about these. Thanks for the information!
SO and I are about to place our first order for DIY juice from EcigExpress. There are several one-shots that I am interested in are made by Express DIY Concentrate. My Google-fu is failing me and I can't find any information on their ingredients.
Have you looked into this company? If you can provide safety information for them?
Thanks for the list. Good to have. Did you see any MSDS on Inawera Eucalyptus with Mint. I Think it is a bad ones but I am not finding an MSDS for it.
TFA double chocolate clear has Caprylic acid. Caprylic acid is found in MCT oil. Should we really be vaping it?
Mind if I ask for a source for that? According to their site only five flavors contain caprylic acid, and it is definitely worth noting, but Double Chocolate (Clear) is not one of them.
I am reindexing the documents looking for caprylic acid elsewhere now. Thanks for your report!
Here is a list https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/specsheetlist.aspx
I don't see caprylic/octanoic acid on the page for Double Chocolate (Clear).
EDIT: I see what you mean, I think the page you are looking at is older (see the seal that is marked 2004 at the bottom) but we'd have to reach out to TPA for clarification at this point.
I'm not really getting what the issue is with Caprylic acid? Is this a known substance that I've missed for some time?
It's a medium chain triglyceride - the primary ingredient in "MCT oil". Unfortunately there are no studies I am aware of that provide evidence one way or the other about vaping MCTs, but "long chain" lipids are what cause lipid pneumonia, so I am not personally risking my health with something that might be fatty enough to accumulate in my lungs. At the end of the day all of these chemical inclusions or exclusions are judgement calls made by humans. I will try to update my OP with more information about chemicals that I have added to the list after the fact so that you can make a better informed decision.
I sent The Flavor apprentice an email asking about the chemicals on your avoid/caution list, and they responded with a nice sheet.
they didn’t list any flavor with cacao butter as stated in their msds search so I will ask them about that.
I found one you haven’t listed on their msds.
Cacao butter:
DX milk chocolate flavor(0.94-1.88%)
Corn syrup:
Graham Cracker Flavor(0.5%)
Molasses:
DX Brown sugar flavor(10-20%)
Caprylic acid:
Chai Tea II Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Cranberry Sauce Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Dulce de Leche Caramel Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Greek Yogurt Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Strawberry (Ripe) Flavor (<= 0.1%)
Bittersweet Chocolate Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Double Chocolate (Clear) Flavor (<= 0.5%)
Whipped Cream Flavor (<= 0.1%)
They have 27 flavors with Furfural so I will just list the ones above 1%.
Pie Crust Flavor(<10%)
Maple Syrup Flavor(<1%)
Brown Sugar Flavor(<1%)
PS: Lemon Lime has 1% vitamin E
I wonder if theres a list about chemical reactions caused from mixing different flavorings that might react in a harmful way when mixed with an ingredient in another flavoring.
I mean even all of the side effects for mixing medication registered by the FDA is an incomplete list. This would be amazing to have that kind of research done, but we're still working on finding out of individual flavors are safe on their own.
Any facts on Stevia as a sweetener? I made a 10% (powder) solution in PG to use as a sweetener, have not used it in a mix yet. But when I taste the solution it's darn sweet.
I'd like to give props to whoever did this I'm sure it took a lot of time but while everyone is singing praise and all what about.....the fact that on every major retailers web pages we order from it says a lot of the flavors we use change out dna? Most if not all of this stuff is bad for us.do you have any links that can prove these concentrate flavors have killed or hurt anyone? My point is yes maybe vaping corn syrup is bad or the vitamin e in the concentrate is bad if vaped.If nothing has happened to anyone in 10 or 15 years of vaping TFA gramcracker crust then why is this a thing now? Because "they" said so? Just seems like it's adding another log to the fire.I've read comments on this post of people throwing out 120ml of their favorite diy juice just because some kiwi flavor "MIGHT" be bad but the person has been using it for years, vaping 30+ ml a day😂😂😂 just seems silly is all and no I'm not trolling, no I'm not starting drama just pointing out the obvious is all.
Im just getting into DIY and the only sweeteners I could find were sucralose based. What other sweeteners are there?
Not many that I am aware of - the sweeteners that are actual sugars like fructose are off-limits because they will caramelize, so if you're also trying to avoid sucralose that only leaves stevia and erythritol that I am aware of. I don't think anyone has a clear picture of the health effects of vaping either of those two things, so I wouldn't strongly recommend either one.