Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2704 (CAS 874-66-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, nutty, caramel.
- FEMA
- 2704
- CAS
- 874-66-8
- JECFA
- 1498
- Formula
- C8H8O2
- EC
- 212-866-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 874-66-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenal, 3-(2-furanyl)-2-methyl-, 2-Furanacrolein, α-methyl-, 3-(2-Furanyl)-2-methyl-2-propenal, 2-Methyl-3-(α-furyl)propenal-2, α-Methyl-β-(2-furyl)acrolein, 2-Methyl-3-(2-furyl)-2-propenal, 3-(2-(Furanyl)-2-methyl-2-propenal, 3-(2-Furyl)-2-methylprop-2-enal, 2-Methyl-3-(2-furyl)acrolein, 3-(Furan-2-yl)-2-methylacrylaldehyde, 2-Methyl-3-(2-furyl)-propenal, 2-methyl-3-(2-furyl)propenal.
Can 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein be labeled natural?
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein 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.
- 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-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2704. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.046 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn.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 1498, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2006. 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-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 874-66-8, where EPA names it 2-Propenal, 3-(2-furanyl)-2-methyl-.
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: Sweet, fruity, floral, nutty, caramel.
Where it is used
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, bakery and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-(2-Furyl)acrolein | 2494 | 87% | In nature |
| Furfuryl formate | 4542 | 81% | In nature |
| 2-Benzofurancarboxaldehyde | 3128 | 72% | In nature |
| 2-Acetyl-5-methylfuran | 3609 | 67% | In nature |
| Piperonal | 2911 | 66% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
3-(2-Furyl)acrolein · 2-trans-6-cis-Dodecadienal · (E)-Tetradec-2-enal · (E,E)-2,4-Heptadienal · 2,4-Nonadienal · 2-Hexylidenehexanal
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein FAQ
Does 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2704. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein as FEMA 2704 or CAS 874-66-8; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein 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.
Is 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1498), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein?
Yes. JECFA number 1498, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2006. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Methyl-3(2-furyl)acrolein is sweet, fruity, floral, nutty, caramel. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring, bakery and snacks.
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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-METHYL-3-(2-FURYL)ACROLEIN under CAS 874-66-8 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.