Flavor ingredient regulatory record

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4556 (CAS 54440-17-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, woody.

FEMA
4556
CAS
54440-17-4
JECFA
2047
Formula
C12H14O

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 54440-17-4.

Structure

2D structure of 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one
Structure of 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one, C12H14O. Drawn from the canonical SMILES.

Identity

IUPAC name 2,3,3-trimethyl-2H-inden-1-one
CAS number 54440-17-4
FEMA number 4556
Molecular formula C12H14O
Molecular weight 174.24 g/mol
SMILES CC1C(=O)c2ccccc2C1(C)C
InChIKey KZSUMHASCAWKLE-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem CID 10149036
FDA UNII 19D876M98B
EPA DTXSID DTXSID20886101
Chemical class Ketone
Boiling point 137 °C
Flash point 52 °C

Also known as: 1H-Inden-1-one, 2,3-dihydro-2,3,3-trimethyl-, 1-Indanone, 2,3,3-trimethyl-, 2,3-Dihydro-2,3,3-trimethyl-1H-inden-1-one, 2,3,3-Trimethyl-1-indanone, 2,3,3-Trimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one, Safraleine, 2,3,3-trimethylindanone, 1h-inden-1-one, 2,3-dihydro-2,3,3-trimethyl-, safraleine, 2,3,3-trimethyl-1-indanone, 2,3-dihydro-2,3,3-trimethyl-1h-inden-1-one, 2,3,3-trimethyl-2h-inden-1-one.

Can 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one be labeled natural?

Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).

Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.

Regulatory status, with citations

United States

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4556. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.

21 CFR 172.515

European Union and United Kingdom

No EU FL number is on file for 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 2047, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. no safety concern at current levels of intake.

JECFA monograph

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

TSCA Inventory status

A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 54440-17-4, where EPA names it 1H-Inden-1-one, 2,3-dihydro-2,3,3-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, caramel, nutty, woody.

Where it is used

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one is used in beverage, confection, desserts, bakery and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
2-Methylacetophenone431677%In nature
2,2,6,7-Tetramethylbicyclo[4.3.0]nona-4,9(1)-dien-8-ol452165%In nature
(+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone402062%In nature
l-fenchone451962%In nature
d-Fenchone247962%In nature

More ketones in this index

3-Pinanone · 4-(p-Acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone · 4-Hydroxyacetophenone · Dihydro-alpha-ionone · 2-Methylcyclohexanone · 4-Methyl-3-penten-2-one

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one FAQ

Is 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one on the FEMA GRAS list?

It is. FEMA number 4556 covers 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.

What is the FEMA number for 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one?

The FEMA number for 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one is 4556 and its CAS registry number is 54440-17-4. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.

Is 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one approved in the EU?

No EU FL number is on file for 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2047), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.

Has JECFA evaluated 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one?

Yes. JECFA number 2047, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.

What is 2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one used for?

2,3,3-Trimethylindan-1-one is described as sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, woody. It shows up in beverage, confection, desserts, bakery and flavoring.

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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 2,3,3-TRIMETHYLINDANONE under CAS 54440-17-4 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.