Ethyl lactate is found naturally in small quantities in a wide variety of foods including wine, chicken, and various fruits.
The odor of ethyl lactate when dilute is mild, buttery, creamy, with hints of fruit and coconut.
Because both enantiomers are found in nature, and because ethyl lactate is easily biodegradable, it is considered to be a "green solvent."
Ethyl lactate and its aqueous solutions are used as sustainable media for organic synthesis.
[6] Due to its relatively low toxicity, ethyl lactate is used commonly in pharmaceutical preparations, food additives,[7] and fragrances.