Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Hexylidenehexanal
2-Hexylidenehexanal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4616 (CAS 13019-16-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, nutty.
- FEMA
- 4616
- CAS
- 13019-16-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13019-16-4.
Structure
Under review
The structure for 2-Hexylidenehexanal is still under identity review, so no drawing is shown until the record is confirmed.
Identity
Also known as: (z)-2-butyloct-2-enal, 2-butyl-2-octenal, 2-butyloct-2-enal, 2-octenal, 2-butyl-, 2-hexylidenehexanal, z-, (2z)-2-butyl-2-octenal, 2-butyl-2-octenal, (2z)-, 2-octenal, 2-butyl-, (z)-, 2-octenal, 2-butyl-, (2z)-, (e)-2-butyl-2-octenal, (2z)-2-butyloct-2-enal, 2-octenal,2-butyl.
Can 2-Hexylidenehexanal be labeled natural?
2-Hexylidenehexanal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Hexylidenehexanal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Hexylidenehexanal is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Hexylidenehexanal 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-Hexylidenehexanal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4616. 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-Hexylidenehexanal. 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)
2-Hexylidenehexanal has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, nutty.
Where it is used
2-Hexylidenehexanal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Hexylidenehexanal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undec-2(trans)-enal | 3423 | 91% | In nature |
| trans-2-Octen-1-yl butanoate | 3517 | 88% | In nature |
| 3-Decen-2-one | 3532 | 87% | In nature |
| Dodec-2-(trans)-enal | 2402 | 86% | In nature |
| Octanal | 2797 | 86% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal · 2-Methyl-2-octenal · 3-(5-Methyl-2-furyl) butanal · 5-Methyl-2-(methylthiomethyl)-2-hexenal · p-Tolylacetaldehyde · 2-Ethylbutyraldehyde
2-Hexylidenehexanal FAQ
Is 2-Hexylidenehexanal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4616 covers 2-Hexylidenehexanal. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-Hexylidenehexanal?
The FEMA number for 2-Hexylidenehexanal is 4616 and its CAS registry number is 13019-16-4. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 2-Hexylidenehexanal natural or artificial?
Since 2-Hexylidenehexanal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Hexylidenehexanal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Hexylidenehexanal identical-to-natural.
What is 2-Hexylidenehexanal used for?
2-Hexylidenehexanal is described as sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, nutty. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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-HEXYLIDENEHEXANAL under CAS 13019-16-4 and carries its FEMA 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.