Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is a pyrazine in the nutty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3336 (CAS 18138-04-0). Its odor is nutty, roasted, earthy, slightly sweet.
- FEMA
- 3336
- CAS
- 18138-04-0
- JECFA
- 777
- EU FL
- 14.056
- Formula
- C9H14N2
- EC
- 242-024-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 18138-04-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-, 2-Methyl-5,6-diethylpyrazine, 5-Methyl-2,3-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-Diethyl-6-methylpyrazine, pyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-, hazelnut pyrazine, 5-methyl-2,3-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-6-methylpyrazine, methyl-5,6-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine [fhfi], 2-methyl-5,6-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine.
Can 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine be labeled natural?
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3336. 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 14.056, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 777, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 18138-04-0, where EPA names it Pyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-.
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: Nutty, roasted, earthy, slightly sweet. Detectable at about 0 ppm.
Taste: Savory, nutty, roasted.
Where it is used
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is used in snack foods, seasoning blends, savory sauces and meat products, typically as a nutty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,5-Diethyl-3-methylpyrazine | 3915 | 91% | In nature |
| 2-Ethoxy-3-ethylpyrazine | 4633 | 83% | Not determined |
| 2-Ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine | 4632 | 76% | Not determined |
More pyrazines in this index
3-Acetylpyridine · 2,5-Diethyl-3-methylpyrazine · 2-Acetyl-3-ethylpyrazine · 2-Acetylpyrazine · 2-Ethylpyrazine · 2,3-Dimethylpyrazine
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine FAQ
Is 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine as GRAS under FEMA number 3336. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine?
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is FEMA 3336, CAS 18138-04-0. FEMA files it in the nutty flavor category.
Does 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine on the EU Union List?
2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 14.056 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine?
Yes. JECFA number 777, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine as nutty, roasted, earthy, slightly sweet. On the palate it is savory, nutty, roasted. Its odor threshold is about 9.0E-5 ppm. It is used in snack foods, seasoning blends, savory sauces and meat products.
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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-DIETHYL-5-METHYLPYRAZINE under CAS 18138-04-0 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.