Flavor ingredient regulatory record
1-Methylnaphthalene
1-Methylnaphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3193 (CAS 90-12-0). Its odor is aromatic, woody, sweet, naphthalene-like.
- FEMA
- 3193
- CAS
- 90-12-0
- JECFA
- 1335
- Formula
- C11H10
- EC
- 201-966-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 90-12-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Naphthalene, 1-methyl-, α-Methylnaphthalene, NSC 3574, Methynaph H, Mechinafu H, alpha-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, 1-methyl-, 1-methyl-naphthalene, 1-methyl naphthalene, methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, methyl-, 1-methylnapththalene.
Can 1-Methylnaphthalene be labeled natural?
Nature makes 1-Methylnaphthalene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 1-Methylnaphthalene, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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-Methylnaphthalene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3193. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
1-Methylnaphthalene was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.014 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1335, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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-Methylnaphthalene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 90-12-0, where EPA names it Naphthalene, 1-methyl-.
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: Aromatic, woody, sweet, naphthalene-like.
Taste: Bitter, slightly sweet, complex.
Where it is used
1-Methylnaphthalene is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and smoked products, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-Methylnaphthalene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoquinoline | 2978 | 89% | In nature |
| 5-Methylquinoxaline | 3203 | 83% | In nature |
| beta-Naphthyl methyl ether | 4704 | 80% | Not determined |
| Methyl beta-naphthyl ketone | 2723 | 77% | Not determined |
| 6-Methylquinoline | 2744 | 76% | In nature |
1-Methylnaphthalene FAQ
Does 1-Methylnaphthalene have FEMA GRAS status?
1-Methylnaphthalene holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3193. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 1-Methylnaphthalene by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 1-Methylnaphthalene as FEMA 3193 or CAS 90-12-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is woody.
What does 1-Methylnaphthalene smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 1-Methylnaphthalene is aromatic, woody, sweet, naphthalene-like. On the palate it is bitter, slightly sweet, complex. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring agents and smoked products.
What did JECFA conclude about 1-Methylnaphthalene?
JECFA evaluated 1-Methylnaphthalene at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1335. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 1-Methylnaphthalene approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 1-Methylnaphthalene. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1335), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can 1-Methylnaphthalene be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for 1-Methylnaphthalene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 1-Methylnaphthalene is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 1-Methylnaphthalene in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 1-METHYLNAPHTHALENE under CAS 90-12-0 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.