Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane
2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane is a thiol in the sulfur family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3503 (CAS 23832-18-0). Its odor is pungent, sulfurous, earthy, garlic.
- FEMA
- 3503
- CAS
- 23832-18-0
- JECFA
- 520
- Formula
- C10H18S
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 10. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 977136-05-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-2-thiol, 2,6,6-trimethyl-, 2-Pinanethiol, 2,6,6-Trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-2-thiol, NSC 76099, 2-Mercaptopinane, 2-mercaptopinane, 2-pinanethiol, pinanyl mercaptan, 2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-2-thiol, pinane, 2-mercapto-, mango thiol, 2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo(3.1.1)heptane-2-thiol.
Can 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane be labeled natural?
The process decides for 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane 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 or 10-Mercaptopinane is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3503. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane. 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 520.
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. 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 23832-18-0, where EPA names it Bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-2-thiol, 2,6,6-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 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: Pungent, sulfurous, earthy, garlic.
Where it is used
2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane is used in savory dishes, seasoning, sauces and meat products, typically as a sulfur note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane 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-Dimethyl-3-tetrahydrofuranthiol, cis and trans isomers | 3971 | 72% | Not determined |
| Verbenol | 3594 | 72% | In nature |
More thiols in this index
2-Methyltetrahydrothiophen-3-one · 3-Mercapto-2-pentanone · 4-(Methylthio)butanal · Furfuryl methyl sulfide · Cyclopentanethiol · 3-Methylbutanethiol
2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane FAQ
Is 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3503 covers 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane?
The FEMA number for 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane is 3503 and its CAS registry number is 23832-18-0. Its flavor category is sulfur.
What is 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane used for?
2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane is described as pungent, sulfurous, earthy, garlic. It shows up in savory dishes, seasoning, sauces and meat products.
What did JECFA conclude about 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane?
JECFA evaluated 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane under JECFA number 520.
Is 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 520), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane natural or artificial?
Nature makes 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2,3 or 10-Mercaptopinane, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 2,3 OR 10-MERCAPTOPINANE under CAS 977136-05-2 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.