Flavor ingredient regulatory record

1-Octene

1-Octene is an alkene in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4293 (CAS 111-66-0). Its odor is fruity, green, waxy, fresh.

FEMA
4293
CAS
111-66-0
JECFA
2191
EU FL
01.070
Formula
C8H16
EC
203-893-7

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 111-66-0.

Structure

2D structure of 1-Octene
Structure of 1-Octene, C8H16. Drawn from the canonical SMILES.

Identity

IUPAC name oct-1-ene
CAS number 111-66-0
FEMA number 4293
Molecular formula C8H16
Molecular weight 112.22 g/mol
SMILES C=CCCCCCC
InChIKey KWKAKUADMBZCLK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem CID 8125
EC number 203-893-7
FDA UNII E5VK21B9RC
EPA DTXSID DTXSID6025804
Chemical class Alkene
Boiling point 121 °C
Flash point 10 °C

Also known as: α-Octene, α-Octylene, n-1-Octene, Caprylene, 1-n-Octene, Gulftene 8, Dialen 8, n-octene-1, NSC 8457, Linealene 8, Octa-1-ene, oct-1-ene.

Can 1-Octene be labeled natural?

Nature makes 1-Octene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 1-Octene, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 1-Octene 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-Octene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4293. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.

21 CFR 172.515

European Union and United Kingdom

Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.070, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 2191, evaluated at the 79th meeting in 2014. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.

JECFA monograph

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

TSCA Inventory status

A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 1-Octene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-66-0, where EPA names it 1-Octene.

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: Fruity, green, waxy, fresh.

Taste: Mild, sweet, oily.

Where it is used

1-Octene is used in beverage, flavoring and food products, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-Octene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
1-Nonene465198%In nature
(E)-4-Nonenal430290%In nature
(E)-4-Undecenal467287%Not determined
(R)-(-)-1-Octen-3-ol449286%In nature
1-Octen-3-ol280586%In nature

More alkenes in this index

1,3,5,7-Undecatetraene · 2,4-Nonadiene · 1-Nonene · 4-Methyl-cis-2-pentene · 1,3,5-Undecatriene · cis- and trans-1-Methoxy-1-decene

1-Octene FAQ

Is 1-Octene FEMA GRAS?

Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 1-Octene as GRAS under FEMA number 4293. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.

What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 1-Octene?

1-Octene is FEMA 4293, CAS 111-66-0. Its flavor category is fruity.

How is 1-Octene described, and where does it show up?

Flavorists describe 1-Octene as fruity, green, waxy, fresh. On the palate it is mild, sweet, oily. It is used in beverage, flavoring and food products.

What did JECFA conclude about 1-Octene?

JECFA evaluated 1-Octene at the 79th meeting in 2014 under JECFA number 2191. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.

Is 1-Octene on the EU Union List?

Yes. FL 01.070 is the Union List entry for 1-Octene, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.

Does 1-Octene count as natural in the US and the EU?

The process decides for 1-Octene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 1-Octene is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 1-Octene identical-to-natural.

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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-OCTENE under CAS 111-66-0 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.