Flavor ingredient regulatory record
1-Hexadecanol
1-Hexadecanol is an alcohol in the fatty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2554 (CAS 36653-82-4). Its odor is fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, creamy.
- FEMA
- 2554
- CAS
- 36653-82-4
- JECFA
- 114
- EU FL
- 02.009
- Formula
- C16H34O
- EC
- 253-149-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 36653-82-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cetyl alcohol, Siponol CC, Siponol Wax A, Cetanol, n-1-Hexadecanol, Adol 52NF, n-Cetyl alcohol, Atalco C, Cetaffine, Cetal, Cetalol CA, Cetylic alcohol.
Can 1-Hexadecanol be labeled natural?
Since 1-Hexadecanol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 1-Hexadecanol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 1-Hexadecanol identical-to-natural.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
1-Hexadecanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2554. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.009, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 114, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 1-Hexadecanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 36653-82-4, where EPA names it 1-Hexadecanol.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, creamy.
Taste: Oily, fatty, mild.
Where it is used
1-Hexadecanol is used in emulsifier, texture enhancer and food additive, typically as a fatty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-Hexadecanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myristaldehyde | 2763 | 94% | In nature |
| 2-Pentadecanone | 3724 | 93% | In nature |
| Lauryl alcohol | 2617 | 93% | In nature |
| Palmitic acid | 2832 | 93% | In nature |
| Pentadecanoic acid | 4334 | 92% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
2-Octen-1-ol · 3-Octen-2-ol · Cinnamyl alcohol · cis-4-Octenol · Heptan-2-ol · Butyl alcohol
1-Hexadecanol FAQ
Does 1-Hexadecanol have FEMA GRAS status?
1-Hexadecanol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2554. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 1-Hexadecanol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 1-Hexadecanol as FEMA 2554 or CAS 36653-82-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fatty flavor category.
Can 1-Hexadecanol be labeled a natural flavor?
1-Hexadecanol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 1-Hexadecanol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 1-Hexadecanol is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can 1-Hexadecanol be used in the EU and UK?
1-Hexadecanol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.009 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 1-Hexadecanol?
Yes. JECFA number 114, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 1-Hexadecanol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 1-Hexadecanol is fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, creamy. On the palate it is oily, fatty, mild. Typical uses are emulsifier, texture enhancer and food additive.
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as CETYL ALCOHOL under CAS 36653-82-4 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.