Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Methylheptan-3-one
2-Methylheptan-3-one is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4000 (CAS 13019-20-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, nutty.
- FEMA
- 4000
- CAS
- 13019-20-0
- JECFA
- 1156
- EU FL
- 07.240
- Formula
- C8H16O
- EC
- 235-877-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13019-20-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3-Heptanone, 2-methyl-, 2-Methyl-3-heptanone, NSC 21978, Butyl isopropyl ketone, 6-Methyl-5-heptanone, 2-methyl-3-heptanone, 3-heptanone, 2-methyl-, butyl isopropyl ketone, 2-methylheptanone-(3), 2-methylbutyl isopropyl ketone, 2-methylheptan-3-one [fhfi], 3-heptanone, 2-methyl-(8ci).
Can 2-Methylheptan-3-one be labeled natural?
2-Methylheptan-3-one occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Methylheptan-3-one won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Methylheptan-3-one 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-Methylheptan-3-one is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4000. 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 07.240, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1156, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, nutty.
Where it is used
2-Methylheptan-3-one is used in beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Methylheptan-3-one by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Heptanone | 2545 | 95% | In nature |
| 4-Methylheptan-3-one | 4966 | 95% | In nature |
| 3-Heptanol | 3547 | 90% | In nature |
| 2,3-Heptanedione | 2543 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Methylhexanoic acid | 3191 | 83% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
2-Furyl methyl ketone · beta-Damascone · 4-(p-Acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone · Dihydro-alpha-ionone · 2-Butanone · (E)-1,5-Octadien-3-one
2-Methylheptan-3-one FAQ
Does 2-Methylheptan-3-one have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Methylheptan-3-one holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4000. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Methylheptan-3-one by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Methylheptan-3-one as FEMA 4000 or CAS 13019-20-0; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 2-Methylheptan-3-one be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 2-Methylheptan-3-one is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Methylheptan-3-one 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.
Can 2-Methylheptan-3-one be used in the EU and UK?
2-Methylheptan-3-one is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.240 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Methylheptan-3-one?
Yes. JECFA number 1156, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does 2-Methylheptan-3-one smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Methylheptan-3-one is sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, nutty. Typical uses are beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and flavoring.
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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-METHYL-3-HEPTANONE under CAS 13019-20-0 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.