Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Methylheptanoic acid
2-Methylheptanoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2706 (CAS 1188-02-9). Its odor is fruity, fatty, waxy, green.
- FEMA
- 2706
- CAS
- 1188-02-9
- JECFA
- 1212
- EU FL
- 08.047
- Formula
- C8H16O2
- EC
- 214-704-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1188-02-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Heptanoic acid, 2-methyl-, α-Methylheptanoic acid, (±)-2-Methylheptanoic acid, 2-methylenanthic acid, heptanoic acid, 2-methyl-, alpha-methylheptanoic acid, .alpha.-methylheptanoic acid, 2-methylheptanoic acid [fhfi], (+-)-2-methylheptanoic acid, methylamylacetic acid, 2-methyl-heptanoic acid, heptane-2-carboxylic acid.
Can 2-Methylheptanoic acid be labeled natural?
Since 2-Methylheptanoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Methylheptanoic acid 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.
- 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-Methylheptanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2706. 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 08.047, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1212, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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-Methylheptanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1188-02-9, where EPA names it Heptanoic acid, 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: Fruity, fatty, waxy, green.
Taste: Sour, fatty, mildly fruity.
Where it is used
2-Methylheptanoic acid is used in beverage, dairy, confection and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Methylheptanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptanoic acid | 3348 | 92% | In nature |
| Octanoic acid | 2799 | 91% | In nature |
| Nonanoic acid | 2784 | 88% | In nature |
| 2-Methylhexanoic acid | 3191 | 80% | In nature |
| 4-Methyloctanoic acid | 3575 | 80% | In nature |
More acids in this index
3-Phenylpropionic acid · N-Benzoylanthranilic acid · 3-Hexenoic acid · 3,7-Dimethyl-6-octenoic acid · 2-Oxo-3-phenylpropionic acid sodium salt · 4-Decenoic Acid
2-Methylheptanoic acid FAQ
Is 2-Methylheptanoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2-Methylheptanoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2706. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2-Methylheptanoic acid?
2-Methylheptanoic acid is FEMA 2706, CAS 1188-02-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does 2-Methylheptanoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
2-Methylheptanoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Methylheptanoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Methylheptanoic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Methylheptanoic acid identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Methylheptanoic acid on the EU Union List?
2-Methylheptanoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.047 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Methylheptanoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1212, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 2-Methylheptanoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2-Methylheptanoic acid as fruity, fatty, waxy, green. On the palate it is sour, fatty, mildly fruity. It is used in beverage, dairy, confection and savory dishes.
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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-METHYLHEPTANOIC ACID under CAS 1188-02-9 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.