Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Acetylpyrazine
2-Acetylpyrazine is a pyrazine in the nutty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3126 (CAS 22047-25-2). Its odor is nutty, roasted, popcorn, earthy.
- FEMA
- 3126
- CAS
- 22047-25-2
- JECFA
- 784
- EU FL
- 14.032
- Formula
- C6H6N2O
- EC
- 244-753-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 22047-25-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanone, 1-(2-pyrazinyl)-, Ketone, methyl pyrazinyl, Ethanone, 1-pyrazinyl-, 1-(2-Pyrazinyl)ethanone, Acetylpyrazine, Pyrazine methyl ketone, NSC 72374, 1-(Pyrazin-2-yl)ethanone, 1-(2-Pyrazinyl)-1-ethanone, 2-Acetyl-1,4-pyrazine, Methyl pyrazin-2-yl ketone, acetylpyrazine.
Can 2-Acetylpyrazine be labeled natural?
Since 2-Acetylpyrazine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Acetylpyrazine is synthesized. 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
2-Acetylpyrazine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3126. 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 14.032, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 784, 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-Acetylpyrazine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 22047-25-2, where EPA names it Ethanone, 1-(2-pyrazinyl)-.
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, popcorn, earthy. Detectable at about 0.06 ppm.
Where it is used
2-Acetylpyrazine is used in snack foods, confectionery, savory flavors and baked goods, typically as a nutty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Acetylpyrazine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Acetylpyridine | 3424 | 95% | In nature |
| 2-Acetylpyridine | 3251 | 94% | In nature |
| Methoxypyrazine | 3302 | 91% | In nature |
| 2-Ethylpyrazine | 3281 | 90% | In nature |
| 2-Acetyl-3-methylpyrazine | 3964 | 89% | In nature |
More pyrazines in this index
2-Acetyl-3-ethylpyrazine · 2-Ethylpyrazine · 2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine · 3-Acetylpyridine · 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine · 2-Acetyl-3-methylpyrazine
2-Acetylpyrazine FAQ
Is 2-Acetylpyrazine FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2-Acetylpyrazine as GRAS under FEMA number 3126. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2-Acetylpyrazine?
2-Acetylpyrazine is FEMA 3126, CAS 22047-25-2. FEMA files it in the nutty flavor category.
Does 2-Acetylpyrazine count as natural in the US and the EU?
2-Acetylpyrazine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Acetylpyrazine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Acetylpyrazine is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Acetylpyrazine identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Acetylpyrazine on the EU Union List?
2-Acetylpyrazine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 14.032 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Acetylpyrazine?
Yes. JECFA number 784, 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-Acetylpyrazine described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2-Acetylpyrazine as nutty, roasted, popcorn, earthy. Its odor threshold is about 0.06 ppm. It is used in snack foods, confectionery, savory flavors and baked goods.
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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 ACETYLPYRAZINE under CAS 22047-25-2 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.