Flavor ingredient regulatory record
10-Undecenoic acid
10-Undecenoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3247 (CAS 112-38-9). Its odor is fruity, fatty, waxy, slightly floral.
- FEMA
- 3247
- CAS
- 112-38-9
- JECFA
- 331
- EU FL
- 08.039
- Formula
- C11H20O2
- EC
- 203-965-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 112-38-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Declid, 10-Hendecenoic acid, ω-Hendecenoic acid, Renselin, Sevinon, 10-Undecylenic acid, Undecylenic acid, Desenex solution, ω-Undecenoic acid, NSC 2013, MeSH ID: D014476, undecylenic acid.
Can 10-Undecenoic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for 10-Undecenoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 10-Undecenoic acid 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
10-Undecenoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3247. 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 08.039, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 331, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. 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. 10-Undecenoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 112-38-9, where EPA names it 10-Undecenoic acid.
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, fatty, waxy, slightly floral.
Where it is used
10-Undecenoic acid is used in beverage, confection, savory dishes, dairy and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 10-Undecenoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonanoic acid | 2784 | 95% | In nature |
| 3-Decen-2-one | 3532 | 88% | In nature |
| trans-2-Octen-1-yl butanoate | 3517 | 87% | In nature |
| 10-Undecenal | 3095 | 87% | In nature |
| 10-Undecen-2-one | 4406 | 80% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Phenylacetic acid · 5-Oxododecanoic acid · Nonanoic acid · 4-Methoxybenzoic acid · 3-Methylcrotonic acid · cis-3-Hexenoic acid
10-Undecenoic acid FAQ
Does 10-Undecenoic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
10-Undecenoic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3247. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 10-Undecenoic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 10-Undecenoic acid as FEMA 3247 or CAS 112-38-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does 10-Undecenoic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 10-Undecenoic acid is fruity, fatty, waxy, slightly floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, savory dishes, dairy and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about 10-Undecenoic acid?
JECFA evaluated 10-Undecenoic acid at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 331. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can 10-Undecenoic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 08.039 is the Union List entry for 10-Undecenoic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can 10-Undecenoic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes 10-Undecenoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 10-Undecenoic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 10-Undecenoic acid identical-to-natural.
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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 10-UNDECENOIC ACID under CAS 112-38-9 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.