Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Nonanol
2-Nonanol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3315 (CAS 628-99-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, waxy, green.
- FEMA
- 3315
- CAS
- 628-99-9
- JECFA
- 293
- EU FL
- 02.087
- Formula
- C9H20O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 5. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 628-99-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Methyl-1-octanol, DL-Nonan-2-ol, (±)-2-Nonanol, NSC 9481, 2-Hydroxynonane, nonan-2-ol, 1-methyl-1-octanol, methyl heptyl carbinol, (+-)-2-nonanol, 2-nonyl alcohol, heptylmethylcarbinol, heptyl methyl carbinol.
Can 2-Nonanol be labeled natural?
The process decides for 2-Nonanol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Nonanol is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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-Nonanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3315. 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 02.087, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 293, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. ACCEPTABLE.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Nonanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 628-99-9, where EPA names it 2-Nonanol.
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, waxy, green.
Where it is used
2-Nonanol is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Nonanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Octanol | 2801 | 97% | In nature |
| 3-Decanol | 3605 | 97% | In nature |
| 1-Octanol | 2800 | 96% | In nature |
| 2-Undecanol | 3246 | 96% | In nature |
| Nonyl alcohol | 2789 | 95% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
(Z)-4-Hepten-1-ol · 1-Phenyl-1-propanol · 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol · 2-Pentanol · (+/-)-1-Cyclohexylethanol · p-Isopropylbenzyl alcohol
2-Nonanol FAQ
Is 2-Nonanol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2-Nonanol as GRAS under FEMA number 3315. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2-Nonanol?
2-Nonanol is FEMA 3315, CAS 628-99-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is 2-Nonanol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2-Nonanol as sweet, fruity, floral, waxy, green. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Nonanol?
JECFA evaluated 2-Nonanol at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 293. The panel concluded: ACCEPTABLE.
Is 2-Nonanol on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 02.087 is the Union List entry for 2-Nonanol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does 2-Nonanol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes 2-Nonanol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Nonanol, 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.
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-Nonanol 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-NONANOL under CAS 628-99-9 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.