Grapefruit Seed Extract
Decode Label flags Grapefruit Seed Extract as a low concern in cosmetics and personal care (adulteration risk). It appears in 1 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.1%).
The concern
Sold as a natural preservative; analyses found undeclared synthetic biocides behind its activity
Grapefruit seed extract is marketed as a natural antimicrobial. Laboratory analyses of commercial extracts found that the preservative strength came from synthetic biocides such as benzethonium chloride, triclosan and methylparaben that were not on the label, and that the pure seed extract itself had little activity. A label that lists the extract therefore cannot show what preservative is actually in the product.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
Takeoka G et al., J Agric Food Chem 49:3316 (2001); Sakamoto S et al., Food Hyg Saf Sci (2000); von Woedtke T et al., Pharmazie 54:452 (1999)
How common it is in this catalogue
Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.
By category
Identity
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Grapefruit Seed Extract safe?
The concern is cited to Takeoka G et al., J Agric Food Chem 49:3316 (2001); Sakamoto S et al., Food Hyg Saf Sci (2000); von Woedtke T et al., Pharmazie 54:452 (1999). Why it is flagged: Sold as a natural preservative; analyses found undeclared synthetic biocides behind its activity. Decode Label treats it as a low concern in cosmetics and personal care. It appears in 1 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.1%).
How common is Grapefruit Seed Extract in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label found Grapefruit Seed Extract in 1 of 912 published products (0.1%), most often in Oral Care.
Who should be most careful with Grapefruit Seed Extract?
Anyone using this regularly.
Products containing Grapefruit Seed Extract
1 published product, each with its own full analysis.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 912 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 3 November 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.