CLARY (SALVIA SCLAREA L.)

CAS: 977051-94-7 FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT

Clary (Salvia sclarea L.) is an aromatic herbaceous plant whose plant material and essential oils have been used for centuries as a natural flavoring agent in foods and beverages and as a seasoning and aromatic component in wines and liqueurs, with regulatory acknowledgment as a flavoring substance in food additive inventories; however specific PubChem CID verification could not be confirmed for the given CAS. Usage and safety context are based on regulatory and flavor industry sources.

What It Is

Clary (Salvia sclarea L.) is a perennial herb in the mint family that produces aromatic plant material and essential oils historically used as a flavoring agent or adjunct in food and beverage applications. The botanical source’s leaves, flowers, and stems yield herbal volatile compounds that contribute characteristic herbal, muscatel, and savory notes when used as a flavoring component. This botanical ingredient is identified by the CAS number 977051-94-7 and appears in food additive inventories as a spice, natural seasoning, or flavoring, reflecting its traditional use in culinary contexts. The sensory profile is often described as herbal and slightly musky. While clary itself refers to the plant and its plant-derived preparations used for flavoring, the essential oil derived from the plant’s flowering parts is commonly referred to in flavor and fragrance use. It is important to distinguish the plant material and its essential oils from other sage species and their respective extracts that may have different chemical profiles and regulatory statuses. Clary’s inclusion in flavoring inventories signifies industry recognition of its functional role rather than a formal standalone numeric food additive code such as an INS number.

How It Is Made

Clary flavoring agents are typically obtained through post-harvest processing of Salvia sclarea plant material. The aromatic compounds responsible for flavor are concentrated in the plant’s leaves, flowers, and stems, and these aromatic constituents are commonly extracted by techniques such as steam distillation, solvent extraction, or enfleurage to yield essential oils or botanical extracts. Steam distillation is a widely used method for volatile flavor compounds, wherein heated steam passes through plant material to vaporize volatile constituents; the vapors are then condensed to separate the essential oil fraction. Alternative extraction methods may use food-grade solvents to produce concentrated botanical extracts with specific flavor profiles. Following extraction, the resulting oils and extracts are usually filtered, standardized, and sometimes blended with carriers to produce flavoring preparations suitable for food formulation. Quality control includes sensory evaluation for consistency and compliance with good manufacturing practice for food ingredients. The production process aims to preserve aromatic terpenes, such as linalool and linalyl acetate, known contributors to the characteristic clary flavor note. While the core process steps are standard for botanical flavorings, exact methods vary by producer and intended end use, and regulatory specifications for purity or composition may be defined by flavor industry and regulatory bodies.

Why It Is Used In Food

Clary is used in food and beverage formulations to impart distinctive herbal, muscatel, and botanical flavor notes that enhance the sensory experience of a wide range of products. Flavoring agents like clary help create complexity in formulations that may otherwise taste flat or unbalanced, particularly in beverages such as aromatized wines, liqueurs, and specialty drinks where traditional herbaceous taste profiles are desirable. Formulators leverage clary’s aromatic profile to complement other ingredients and achieve specific flavor characteristics without relying solely on artificial flavor chemicals. In addition to imparting flavor intensity, natural flavorings such as clary often carry botanical nuances that can elevate perceptions of naturalness and craft in products, aligning with consumer interest in plant-derived ingredients. Due to its traditional use as a seasoning and botanical adjunct in culinary contexts, clary-based flavoring preparations continue to find application in food production where complex herbal flavor profiles are needed. These functional roles in food systems support balanced taste profiles and help diversify flavor portfolios across categories where herbal and savory character is appropriate, such as adult beverages, sauces, dressings, and specialty confections.

Adi Example Calculation

Illustrative calculation examples for ADI typically involve applying a hypothetical ADI value to body weight to estimate allowable daily intake; however, because clary (Salvia sclarea L.) does not have a specific numeric ADI allocation in the authoritative additive databases consulted, a numeric example cannot be provided with supporting evidence in those records. In general regulatory practice, if an additive had an established ADI expressed as X mg per kg of body weight per day, a calculation for a 60 kg adult would multiply X by 60 to estimate the total permissible intake in mg for that person. In the absence of a numeric ADI for clary, this illustrative calculation remains conceptual and emphasizes regulatory intent without asserting a specific consumption threshold. Users and formulators should rely on established flavor usage guidelines from expert panels and adhere to good manufacturing practices rather than specific numeric ADI calculations for botanical flavorings like clary in food applications.

Safety And Health Research

Safety assessments for clary-derived flavoring agents primarily focus on toxicological and exposure evaluations consistent with the broader category of botanical flavorings. Regulatory inventories and expert panels in the flavor industry, such as the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA), consider many botanical constituents safe for intended use based on historical data, traditional use, and evaluation of compositional and toxicological evidence. While specific comprehensive toxicology monographs for clary itself were not identified in the authoritative regulatory databases consulted, clary’s essential oil and botanical extracts have been recognized in food and feed contexts where safety evaluations by entities such as the European Food Safety Authority have concluded that clary sage oil functions as a flavoring compound, with established safe use levels for analogous feed applications, and no evidence of significant consumer risk under intended use conditions was indicated in those evaluations. Safety considerations in botanical flavorings generally include evaluation of potential irritancy, sensitization, and exposure thresholds; in some contexts, essential oils may be considered irritants or sensitizers at high concentrations. The absence of explicit numeric ADIs or regulatory safety limits for clary itself in the consulted authoritative databases suggests that safety judgments rely on established flavor inventories and compositional history rather than discrete regulatory thresholds. Continued monitoring of compositional data and emerging toxicological research in botanical flavoring agents supports the ongoing assessment of safe use levels and ensures that products formulated with clary meet regulatory and safety expectations.

Regulatory Status Worldwide

Clary (Salvia sclarea L.) and preparations derived from it appear in flavor ingredient inventories and regulatory listings that reflect its recognition as a natural flavoring substance. In the United States, clary and clary-derived preparations are listed in the FDA’s Substances Added to Food inventory as flavors and seasonings, which includes spices and other natural flavoring agents; such listings indicate their use as recognized flavor components rather than formal food additive regulations subject to specific use levels in CFR parts. Inclusion in this inventory reflects recognition in regulatory databases rather than a direct FDA additive approval with an explicit CFR section citation. The regulatory code 182.10 d in the input corresponds with the general category of spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings in FDA’s 21 CFR Part 182, which enumerates natural flavorings that are generally recognized as safe for their intended use, subject to sound manufacturing practice and customary conditions of use. No unique E-number is assigned to clary in the European Union’s food additive classification, and authorization for use in food flavorings is generally derived from its status as a traditional flavoring substance. International oversight bodies such as JECFA maintain searchable databases for flavoring agent specifications, and while clary may be assessed within broader flavoring categories, explicit numeric JECFA evaluations or specific ADI allocations for clary itself were not located in the available JECFA records for this CAS. Overall, clary’s regulatory context is shaped by its historical use and inclusion in flavoring inventories rather than numeric additive codes or prescribed maximum use levels across jurisdictions.

Taste And Functional Properties

Clary provides a herbal, aromatic taste and olfactory profile that blends soft herbal, muscatel-like, and slightly spicy notes. The sensory perception is influenced by the concentrations of volatile terpenes and esters present in botanical extracts and essential oils, such as linalool and linalyl acetate. These constituents deliver both taste and aroma, contributing to the overall flavor impact when clary is incorporated into formulations. Clary-derived flavoring agents are generally more soluble in alcohol and oils, given their volatile nature, and may require proper emulsification or formulation strategies when used in aqueous food systems. Thermal stability can vary among key aroma compounds, and formulators typically account for heat and pH conditions during processing to preserve desirable sensory characteristics. Functionally, clary acts primarily as a sensory modifier rather than as a texturizing or preservative agent. Its flavor impact is most significant at low concentrations where aromatic compounds can influence consumer perception without dominating other elements of a product’s flavor profile. Overall, clary’s functional properties in foods stem from its ability to enhance and diversify flavor character while integrating harmoniously into complex sensory matrices.

Acceptable Daily Intake Explained

Acceptable daily intake (ADI) is a regulatory concept used to express the amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk, based on toxicological evaluations and safety factors. For many traditional botanical flavorings such as clary, specific numeric ADI values have not been established in formal JECFA or EFSA evaluations accessible in authoritative additive databases; instead, safe use relies on historical consumption data and expert panel assessments. The ADI concept applies primarily to substances with defined toxicological endpoints and comprehensive safety studies that support numeric allocation, whereas botanical extracts with long histories of customary use may be considered safe for intended uses under the conditions established in flavor inventories and good manufacturing practices. Because clary itself does not have a formally assigned numeric ADI in the major regulatory additive databases accessed, discussion of ADI in this context emphasizes the purpose and caution underlying the concept rather than providing a specific numeric benchmark. Regulatory authorities and expert panels consider the chemical composition, exposure levels in foods, and toxicological evidence when determining whether a flavoring is suitable for use, and safe use recommendations are grounded in both history of consumption and contemporary scientific evaluation.

Comparison With Similar Additives

Clary’s functional role as a botanical flavoring agent can be contrasted with other herb-derived flavor additives commonly used in food and beverage formulations. For example, rosemary extract is another botanically derived flavoring and antioxidant agent used for its herbal, slightly peppery notes and shelf-life enhancing properties; rosemary extracts often have defined regulatory profiles and antioxidant use claims in addition to flavoring uses. Similarly, basil extract delivers fresh herbal notes with sweet and slightly spicy characteristics, and it is employed in sauces, dressings, and seasoning blends where fresh herbal character is desired. In the beverage category, juniper flavoring contributes piney notes commonly associated with spirits such as gin, providing a distinct botanical signature that complements other flavor ingredients. Compared to these herbs, clary’s flavor impact is often described as softer and muscatel-like, making it particularly suitable in nuanced aromatic beverage applications rather than in overtly savory or peppery contexts. When comparing regulatory footprints, some botanical extracts have formalized additive codes or antioxidant claims, whereas clary’s presence in flavor inventories reflects its recognition as a traditional flavoring component without discrete numeric allocation. This comparison underscores the diversity of botanical flavorings in both sensory and regulatory contexts.

Common Food Applications Narrative

Clary’s use in food and beverage applications centers on its contribution to distinctive herbal and aromatic flavor profiles that complement various product categories. In traditional applications, clary and its derived botanical extracts or oils have been used in wines and liqueurs to impart a muscatel-like character that evokes classic herbal beverage traditions, adding depth and complexity to the sensory experience. Beyond alcoholic beverages, clary-derived flavoring agents are also applied in nonalcoholic drinks where botanical notes create nuanced taste perceptions in specialty teas, botanical infusions, and craft sodas. In savory food applications, clary flavor components may be incorporated into sauces, dressings, and marinades to augment herbal character and harmonize with other aromatics such as citrus zest, juniper, and peppercorns. Confectionery and baked goods may sometimes feature light botanical accents where clary’s herbal nuances support other complementary flavor ingredients, especially in adult-targeted confections and dessert items with complex flavor layering. The flexible nature of natural botanical flavorings allows formulators to use clary in combination with other herbs or spices to achieve tailored sensory profiles, and its compatibility with alcohol-based flavor systems makes it particularly relevant in beverage innovation spaces. While not ubiquitous across all food categories, clary’s sensory impact finds resonance where herbal, floral, and botanical dimensions enhance overall product appeal.

Safety & Regulations

FDA

  • Notes: Inclusion in FDA Substances Added to Food inventory reflects flavoring use listing rather than a formal FDA additive approval with a specific CFR regulation

EFSA

  • Notes: No specific EFSA numeric ADI available for clary as a distinct additive in the consulted sources

JECFA

  • Notes: No specific JECFA evaluation with numeric ADI found for this CAS in the available JECFA resources

Sources

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