Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Ethylpyrazine
2-Ethylpyrazine is a pyrazine in the nutty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3281 (CAS 13925-00-3).
- FEMA
- 3281
- CAS
- 13925-00-3
- JECFA
- 762
- EU FL
- 14.022
- Formula
- C6H8N2
- EC
- 237-691-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 5. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13925-00-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pyrazine, 2-ethyl-, Pyrazine, ethyl-, Ethylpyrazine, ethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-1,4-diazine, pyrazine, ethyl-, 2-ethyl pyrazine, pyrazine, 2-ethyl-, 2-ethylpyrazine [fhfi], 5-23-05-00402 (beilstein handbook reference), pyrazine, ethyl, pyrazine, 2ethyl.
Can 2-Ethylpyrazine be labeled natural?
Nature makes 2-Ethylpyrazine, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Ethylpyrazine, same molecule. 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-Ethylpyrazine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3281. 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 14.022, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 762, 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-Ethylpyrazine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 13925-00-3, where EPA names it Pyrazine, 2-ethyl-.
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
Taste: Savory, nutty, roasted.
Where it is used
2-Ethylpyrazine is used in snack foods, confectionery, seasonings and savory dishes, typically as a nutty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Ethylpyrazine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Ethylpyridine | 3394 | 96% | In nature |
| Methoxypyrazine | 3302 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Acetylpyrazine | 3126 | 83% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxypyridine | 4639 | 82% | Not determined |
More pyrazines in this index
Pyrazine · 2-Acetyl-3-ethylpyrazine · 2-Acetylpyrazine · 2,3-Dimethylpyrazine · 3-Acetylpyridine · 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine
2-Ethylpyrazine FAQ
Is 2-Ethylpyrazine on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3281 covers 2-Ethylpyrazine. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-Ethylpyrazine?
The FEMA number for 2-Ethylpyrazine is 3281 and its CAS registry number is 13925-00-3. Its flavor category is nutty.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Ethylpyrazine?
JECFA evaluated 2-Ethylpyrazine at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 762. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 2-Ethylpyrazine approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 14.022 is the Union List entry for 2-Ethylpyrazine, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is 2-Ethylpyrazine natural or artificial?
The process decides for 2-Ethylpyrazine. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Ethylpyrazine is artificial. 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.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 2-Ethylpyrazine in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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-ETHYLPYRAZINE under CAS 13925-00-3 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavor enhancer, 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.