Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Butylfuran
2-Butylfuran is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4081 (CAS 4466-24-4). Its odor is sweet, nutty, caramel, toasted.
- FEMA
- 4081
- CAS
- 4466-24-4
- JECFA
- 1490
- Formula
- C8H12O
- EC
- 224-732-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4466-24-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Furan, 2-butyl-, 2-n-Butylfuran, furan, 2-butyl-, 2-n-butylfuran, 2-n-butyl furan, 2-butyl-furan, 2-butylfuran [fhfi], 2-butyl furan, 2-n-butylfuran; furan, 2-butyl-, 2-(but-1-yl)furan, 2-butylfuran, aldrichcpr, ebc-381052.
Can 2-Butylfuran be labeled natural?
Nature makes 2-Butylfuran, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Butylfuran, same molecule. 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-Butylfuran is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4081. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
2-Butylfuran was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.103 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1490, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, nutty, caramel, toasted.
Where it is used
2-Butylfuran is used in beverage, confection, bakery and snack foods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Butylfuran by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl furfuryl ether | 4114 | 91% | In nature |
| 2-Butyrylfuran | 4083 | 86% | In nature |
| 2-Pentylfuran | 3317 | 83% | In nature |
| Furfuryl isopropyl sulfide | 3161 | 79% | In nature |
| 2-Propylpyridine | 4065 | 70% | In nature |
More furans in this index
2-Decylfuran · 2-Acetyl-5-methylfuran · 2,5-Dimethyl-4-ethoxy-3(2H)-furanone · 2,2'-(Thiodimethylene)difuran · Furfural · 2-Heptylfuran
2-Butylfuran FAQ
Does 2-Butylfuran have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Butylfuran holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4081. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Butylfuran by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Butylfuran as FEMA 4081 or CAS 4466-24-4; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does 2-Butylfuran smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Butylfuran is sweet, nutty, caramel, toasted. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery and snack foods.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Butylfuran?
JECFA evaluated 2-Butylfuran at the 65th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1490. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is 2-Butylfuran approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Butylfuran. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1490), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can 2-Butylfuran be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for 2-Butylfuran. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Butylfuran is artificial. 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-BUTYLFURAN under CAS 4466-24-4 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.