Flavor ingredient regulatory record
1-Octanol
1-Octanol is an alcohol in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2800 (CAS 111-87-5). Its odor is waxy, citrus, fatty, aldehydic.
- FEMA
- 2800
- CAS
- 111-87-5
- JECFA
- 97
- EU FL
- 02.006
- Formula
- C8H18O
- EC
- 203-917-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 111-87-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Octyl alcohol, Caprylic alcohol, Heptyl carbinol, n-Octanol, n-Octyl alcohol, Sipol L8, Alfol 8, Octanol, Octilin, n-Octan-1-ol, 1-Hydroxyoctane, CO 898.
Can 1-Octanol be labeled natural?
1-Octanol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 1-Octanol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 1-Octanol is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- 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-Octanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2800. 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 02.006, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 97, 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-Octanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-87-5, where EPA names it 1-Octanol.
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: Waxy, citrus, fatty, aldehydic.
Taste: Fatty, slightly citrus.
Where it is used
1-Octanol is used in citrus and fatty notes, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-Octanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonyl alcohol | 2789 | 99% | In nature |
| Heptyl alcohol | 2548 | 97% | In nature |
| 1-Decanol | 2365 | 96% | In nature |
| 2-Nonanol | 3315 | 96% | In nature |
| 2-Octanol | 2801 | 95% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
1-Decanol · trans-4-tert-Butylcyclohexanol · Ethanol · Hydroxycitronellol · Heptan-2-ol · (-)-3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol
1-Octanol FAQ
Does 1-Octanol have FEMA GRAS status?
1-Octanol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2800. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 1-Octanol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 1-Octanol as FEMA 2800 or CAS 111-87-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the citrus flavor category.
Can 1-Octanol be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 1-Octanol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 1-Octanol is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
Can 1-Octanol be used in the EU and UK?
1-Octanol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.006 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 1-Octanol?
Yes. JECFA number 97, 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-Octanol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 1-Octanol is waxy, citrus, fatty, aldehydic. On the palate it is fatty, slightly citrus. Typical uses are citrus and fatty notes.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 1-OCTANOL under CAS 111-87-5 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.