Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2,6-Dimethylpyridine
2,6-Dimethylpyridine is a pyridine in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3540 (CAS 108-48-5). Its odor is earthy, pungent, spicy, aromatic.
- FEMA
- 3540
- CAS
- 108-48-5
- JECFA
- 1317
- EU FL
- 14.065
- Formula
- C7H9N
- EC
- 203-587-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 108-48-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-, 2,6-Lutidine, α,α′-Lutidine, α,α′-Dimethylpyridine, NSC 2155, 2,6-lutidine, pyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-, alpha,alpha'-lutidine, alpha,alpha'-dimethylpyridine, lutidine, 2,6-dimethypyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-pyridine.
Can 2,6-Dimethylpyridine be labeled natural?
2,6-Dimethylpyridine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2,6-Dimethylpyridine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2,6-Dimethylpyridine 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
2,6-Dimethylpyridine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3540. 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 14.065, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1317, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. 2,6-Dimethylpyridine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 108-48-5, where EPA names it Pyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-.
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: Earthy, pungent, spicy, aromatic.
Taste: Bitter, slightly spicy, savory.
Where it is used
2,6-Dimethylpyridine is used in seasoning, sauces, snacks and meat products, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2,6-Dimethylpyridine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,4-Dimethylpyridine | 4389 | 95% | In nature |
| Trimethyloxazole | 4394 | 87% | In nature |
| 2,3-Dimethylpyrazine | 3271 | 81% | In nature |
| 2,5-Dimethylfuran | 4106 | 73% | In nature |
| 2,4,5-Trimethylthiazole | 3325 | 69% | In nature |
More pyridines in this index
2,4-Dimethylpyridine · 2-Isobutylpyridine · 2-Propylpyridine · 3-Ethylpyridine · 2-Acetyl-4-isopropenylpyridine · 3-Isobutylpyridine
2,6-Dimethylpyridine FAQ
Is 2,6-Dimethylpyridine FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2,6-Dimethylpyridine as GRAS under FEMA number 3540. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2,6-Dimethylpyridine?
2,6-Dimethylpyridine is FEMA 3540, CAS 108-48-5. FEMA files it in the spice flavor category.
Does 2,6-Dimethylpyridine count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since 2,6-Dimethylpyridine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2,6-Dimethylpyridine 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 2,6-Dimethylpyridine on the EU Union List?
2,6-Dimethylpyridine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 14.065 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2,6-Dimethylpyridine?
Yes. JECFA number 1317, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 2,6-Dimethylpyridine described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2,6-Dimethylpyridine as earthy, pungent, spicy, aromatic. On the palate it is bitter, slightly spicy, savory. It is used in seasoning, sauces, snacks 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 2,6-DIMETHYLPYRIDINE under CAS 108-48-5 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.