Ethylparaben (ethyl ''para''-hydroxybenzoate) is the ethyl

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

of ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid. Its formula is HO-C₆H₄-CO-O-CH₂CH₃. It is a member of the class of compounds known as

paraben Parabens are organic compounds that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. They are esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid (also known as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid). Chemistry Structure and structure Parabens a ...

s. It is used as an

antifungal An antifungal medication, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as ...

preservative A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or ...

. As a

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

, it has

E number E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly ...

E214. Sodium ethyl ''para''-hydroxybenzoate, the

sodium Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

of ethylparaben, has the same uses and is given the E number E215.

References

Ethyl esters E-number additives Parabens {{phenol-stub