Flavor ingredient regulatory record
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol is a thiol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3700 (CAS 71159-90-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, citrus, herbal, sulfurous.
- FEMA
- 3700
- CAS
- 71159-90-5
- JECFA
- 523
- EU FL
- 12.085
- Formula
- C10H18S
- EC
- 275-223-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 71159-90-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3-Cyclohexene-1-methanethiol, α,α,4-trimethyl-, α,α,4-Trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanethiol, Grapefruit mercaptan, 2-(4-Methylcyclohex-3-enyl)propane-2-thiol, Thioterpineol, 2-(4-Methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)propane-2-thiol, p-menth-1-en-8-thiol, p-menth-1-ene-8-thiol, alpha,alpha,4-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanethiol, alpha,alpha,4-trimethylcyclohex-3-ene-1-methanethiol, grapefruit mercaptan, 3-cyclohexene-1-methanethiol, .alpha.,.alpha.,4-trimethyl-.
Can 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol be labeled natural?
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol 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-p-Menthene-8-thiol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3700. 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 12.085, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 523, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 71159-90-5, where EPA names it 3-Cyclohexene-1-methanethiol, .alpha.,.alpha.,4-trimethyl-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Sweet, fruity, citrus, herbal, sulfurous.
Where it is used
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thiogeraniol | 3472 | 85% | In nature |
| p-Mentha-8-thiol-3-one | 3177 | 85% | In nature |
| 3-Mercapto-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate | 4324 | 82% | In nature |
| alpha-Terpineol | 3045 | 72% | In nature |
| p-Mentha-1,3-diene | 3558 | 69% | In nature |
More thiols in this index
3-Mercapto-2-methylpentanal · Ethyl 2-Mercapto-2-methylpropionate · 2-Pentenyl-4-propyl-1,3-oxathiane · 3-Mercaptohexanal · S-Furfuryl thiopropionate · S-Methyl 3-methylbutanethioate
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol FAQ
Does 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol have FEMA GRAS status?
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3700. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol as FEMA 3700 or CAS 71159-90-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol 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-p-Menthene-8-thiol be used in the EU and UK?
1-p-Menthene-8-thiol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 12.085 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol?
Yes. JECFA number 523, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 1-p-Menthene-8-thiol is sweet, fruity, citrus, herbal, sulfurous. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes.
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-p-Menthene-8-thiol 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-P-MENTHENE-8-THIOL under CAS 71159-90-5 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.