D-fructose	Last updated: 24/08/2025
(Also known as: D-fructopyranose; D-fructopyranoside; fructose; sugar)

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SUMMARY

Fructose is a natural sugar that does not have pesticidal properties but which can act as an Elicitor, enhancing the plants natural defence system against boring insects. Whilst data is scant, fructose is not a substance of environmenal or toxicological concern when used for plant protection purposes.

Hazard alerts

The following alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. These hazard alerts do not take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus do not represent risk.

Environmental fate	Ecotoxicity	Human health
		Human health Low alert

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	Fructose is a natural sugar that does not have pesticidal properties but which can act as an Elicitor, enhancing the plants natural defence system against boring insects. It is also used as an insect attractant
Example pests controlled	Boring insects such Cydia pomonella
Example applications	Apples; Pear
Efficacy & activity	-
Appearance and life cycle	-
Taxonomic classification	-

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Open ended
GB LERAP status	None

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	-
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	Open ended
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	No
Listed in EU database	Yes
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 in the following EU Member States	ATAustria BEBelgium BGBulgaria CYCyprus CZCzech Republic DEGermany DKDenmark EEEstonia ELGreece ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ESSpain FIFinland FRFrance HRCroatia HUHungary IEIreland ITItaly LTLithuania LULuxembourg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ LVLatvia MTMalta NLNetherlands PLPoland PTPortugal RORomania SESweden SISlovenia SKSlovakia ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 by Mutual Recognition of Authorisation and/or national regulations in the following EEA countries	ISIceland NONorway

Additional information

Known to be also used in the following countries	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	D-fructose exhibits several types of isomerism that reflect its structural complexity and biological versatility. As a ketohexose, it is a functional isomer of D-glucose, which is an aldohexose but differ in their carbonyl group placement. D-fructose also has stereoisomers, including L-fructose, and epimers like D-psicose, which differ at a single chiral centre. In aqueous solution, D-fructose cyclises to form furanose and pyranose rings, giving rise to alpha- and beta-anomers based on the orientation of the hydroxyl group at the anomeric carbon. Additionally, under certain conditions, it can undergo keto-enol tautomerism, interconverting with aldose forms. These layers of isomerism influence its sweetness, reactivity, and role in metabolic pathways.
Chemical formula	C₆H₁₂O₆
Canonical SMILES	C1C(C(C(C(O1)(CO)O)O)O)O
Isomeric SMILES	C1[C@H]([C@H]([C@@H](C(O1)(CO)O)O)O)O
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	LKDRXBCSQODPBY-VRPWFDPXSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C6H12O6/c7-2-6(11)5(10)4(9)3(8)1-12-6/h3-5,7-11H,1-2H2/t3-,4-,5+,6?/m1/s1
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Biopesticide type	Insecticide; Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses	Attractant; Elicitor
Substance groups	Plant-derived substance
Minimum active substance purity	Food grade purity
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Natural
Mode of action	Stimulates plant natural defence systems. Attracts insects to improve pesticide exposure.
Substance source	Natural fruit sugar
Uses	Crop protection
Target pests	Boring insects such Cydia pomonella
Target host	Apples; Pears
Farming system suitability	-
CAS RN	57-48-7
EC number	200-333-3
CIPAC number	-
US EPA chemical code	-
PubChem CID	2723872
Molecular mass	180.16
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	β-D-fructofuranose
IUPAC name	(3S,4R,5R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-2,3,4,5-tetrol
CAS name	β-D-fructofuranose
Forever chemical	-
Other status information	EU Basic substance under Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009); UK Basic commodity substance implemented under the UK's Plant Protection Products Regulations 2011; Some applications may be approved under the GB Biocide Products Regulations
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)	Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)	Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)	Not known
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	None
Physical state	White crystalline solid with sweet taste
Related substances & organisms	sucrose sucrose octanoate dextrose D-tagatose

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	Used for centuries informally; early-2000s, used in IPM
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Koppert
Example products using this active	Attracker
Formulation and application details	Used in trap-based pest control systems, sticky traps systems and other lure-type products
Commercial production	Commercial production of D-fructose typically involves enzymatic conversion of starch-derived glucose. The process begins with the hydrolysis of starch using amylase enzymes, which break down the polysaccharide into D-glucose. This glucose is then isomerised into D-fructose using glucose isomerase, an enzyme that rearranges the molecular structure without altering the chemical formula. The reaction conditions, such as pH, temperature, and enzyme concentration, are carefully optimised to maximise yield. Simultaneous enzyme reactions, where both amylase and glucose isomerase act on starch in a single step, have proven more efficient than sequential methods, producing higher concentrations of D-fructose over extended reaction times.
Impact on climate of production and use	While no study gives a precise figure for D-fructose alone, published data for corn farming, starch hydrolysis and processing give a rough estimate of 1.5 to 3.0 kg CO₂e per kg of D-fructose produced.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		4000000	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		103	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Boiling point (°C)		-	-	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	-	-	-
	Log P	-	-	-
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		-	-	-
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		-	-	-
Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost	From plant surface	-	-	-
	From soil surface	-	-	-
Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹		-	-	-
Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)		-	-	-

Degradation

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
General biodegradability		-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)	DT₅₀ (typical)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Sediment phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Air degradation		As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀		-

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	Notes and range	-
Freundlich	Kf (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	1/n	-
	Notes and range	-
pH sensitivity		-

Known soil and groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

Metabolite name and reference	Aliases	Formation medium / Rate	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction
glycogen	-	Mammals	-

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		> 4000	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data Rat	Low
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Soil micro-organisms		-	-	-
Collembola	Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
Non-target plants	Vegetative vigour ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Seedling emergence ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
Honeybees (Apis spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic	-	-	-
	Notes	-
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
Mason bees (Osmia spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
Other bee species (1)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Other bee species (2)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Beneficial insects (Ladybirds)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Lacewings)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Parasitic wasps)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Predatory mites)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Ground beetles)		-	-	-

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic Plants (free-floating, fonds growth, fresh) - 7 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants (rooted, growth rate, fresh) - 14 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves		-	-	-

HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION

General

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)		-	-	-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		> 4000	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data Rat	Low
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
Dermal penetration studies (%)		-	-	-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464		-	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	No risks identified
	Occupational	No risks identified
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		-	-	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor XNo, known not to cause a problem A0 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; B0 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; C0 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; E0 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0 = No data XNo, known not to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Eye irritant Phototoxicant   XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem
General human health issues		Fructose is not a substance of significant toxicological concern when used for crop protection Fructose is linked to obesity and diabetes

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Not explosive or oxidising
CLP classification 2013	-
WHO Classification	Not listed (Not listed)
UN Number	-
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	D-fructose
French	-
German	-
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	-
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	24/08/2025
Contact:	aeru@herts.ac.uk
Please cite as:	Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242