Sucrose	Last updated: 24/08/2025
(Also known as: saccharose ; cane sugar; table sugar; sugar)

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SUMMARY

Sucrose is a disaccharide without pesticidal activity but which can enhance a plants natural defences. Whilst data is scant, sucrose 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	A natural plant sugar comprised of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose. Sucrose does not have pesticidal activity but it can enhance a plants natural defences. Also used as an insectn attractant.
Example pests controlled	Boring insects such as Cydia pomonella; Vine leaf hopper; Downy mildew
Example applications	Apple; Maize; Grapes
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	Sucrose has four naturally occurring isomers - trehalulose, turanose, leucrose, and isomaltulose
Chemical formula	C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁
Canonical SMILES	C(C1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)CO)O)O)O)O
Isomeric SMILES	C([C@@H]1[C@H]([C@@H]([C@H]([C@H](O1)O[C@]2([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O2)CO)O)O)CO)O)O)O)O
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	CZMRCDWAGMRECN-UGDNZRGBSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C12H22O11/c13-1-4-6(16)8(18)9(19)11(21-4)23-12(3-15)10(20)7(17)5(2-14)22-12/h4-11,13-20H,1-3H2/t4-,5-,6-,7-,8+,9-,10+,11-,12+/m1/s1
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
sucrose	-
sucrose	-

General status

Biopesticide type	Insecticide; Fungicide; 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 and used as an lure to improve pesticide exposure
Substance source	Natural fruit sugar
Uses	Crop protection
Target pests	Boring insects such as Cydia pomonella; Vine leaf hopper; Downy mildew
Target host	Apples; Maize; Grapes
Farming system suitability	-
CAS RN	57-50-1
EC number	200-334-9
CIPAC number	-
US EPA chemical code	-
PubChem CID	-
Molecular mass	342.30
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3S,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol
IUPAC name	(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3S,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol
CAS name	α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1↔2)-β-D-fructofuranoside
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
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 octanoate dextrose D-fructose

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	-
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Various suppliers
Example products using this active	-
Formulation and application details	-
Commercial production	Commercial production of sucrose for agricultural applications primarily involves extracting sugar from sugarcane or sugar beet. The process begins with harvesting and crushing the plant material to extract juice rich in sucrose. This juice is then clarified, concentrated through evaporation, and crystallised to produce raw sugar. Sucrose may also be further refined or blended with other nutrients depending on the intended application. In some innovative approaches, enzymatic processes are used to convert starch into sucrose or glycoside derivatives, expanding its utility beyond traditional sweetener roles.
Impact on climate of production and use	-

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		2100000	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)		330	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Boiling point (°C)		Decomposes on boiling	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Degradation point (°C)		186	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	2.00 X 10-04	Calculated	-
	Log P	-3.7	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		1.58	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		12.62	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
		-
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)		71	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-

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)		> 29700	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source 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)		> 29700	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source 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		Sucrose is not a substance of significant toxicological concern when used for crop protection Sucrose is linked to obesity and diabetes

Handling issues

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

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	sucrose
French	saccharose
German	-
Danish	-
Italian	zucchero
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	-
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	suiker
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