Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Pyridine
2-Pyridine is a heterocyclic compound in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2966 (CAS 110-86-1). Its odor is nutty, smoky, earthy, pungent, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 2966
- CAS
- 110-86-1
- Formula
- C5H5N
- EC
- 203-809-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 110-86-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Azabenzene, Azine, CP 32, NSC 141574, NSC 406123, A 57147, azabenzene, azine, pyridin, piridina, pirydyna, rcra waste number u196.
Can 2-Pyridine be labeled natural?
Since 2-Pyridine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Pyridine is synthesized. 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-Pyridine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2966. 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-Pyridine. 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-Pyridine has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Listed under California Proposition 65 for cancer since May 17, 2002; a warning may be required in California depending on exposure.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Pyridine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 110-86-1, where EPA names it Pyridine.
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: Nutty, smoky, earthy, pungent, herbaceous.
Taste: Bitter, savory, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
2-Pyridine is used in beverage, savory dishes, seasoning and snacks, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Pyridine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyrazine | 4015 | 90% | In nature |
| 2-Methylfuran | 4179 | 85% | In nature |
| Piperidine | 2908 | 76% | In nature |
| Phenol | 3223 | 75% | In nature |
| 2-cyclohexenone | 4517 | 70% | In nature |
More heterocyclic compounds in this index
Pyrrole · 4-Amino-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2(1H)-one · 6-Methylquinoline · Trimethyloxazole
2-Pyridine FAQ
Is 2-Pyridine on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2966 covers 2-Pyridine. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-Pyridine?
The FEMA number for 2-Pyridine is 2966 and its CAS registry number is 110-86-1. FEMA files it in the earthy flavor category.
Is 2-Pyridine natural or artificial?
2-Pyridine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Pyridine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Pyridine 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.
What is 2-Pyridine used for?
2-Pyridine is described as nutty, smoky, earthy, pungent, herbaceous. On the palate it is bitter, savory, slightly sweet. It shows up in beverage, savory dishes, seasoning 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 PYRIDINE under CAS 110-86-1 and carries its FEMA 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.