Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Thienylmercaptan
2-Thienylmercaptan is a thiol in the sulfur family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3062 (CAS 7774-74-5). Its odor is pungent, sulfurous, earthy, onion.
- FEMA
- 3062
- CAS
- 7774-74-5
- JECFA
- 1052
- EU FL
- 15.001
- Formula
- C4H4S2
- EC
- 231-881-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7774-74-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Thiophenethiol, 2-Mercaptothiophene, α-Thienyl mercaptan, 2-Thienylthiol, thiophene-2-thiol, 2-thiophenethiol, 2-thienyl mercaptan, 2-thienyl mercaptan [fhfi], 2-mercaptothiophene, thiophenethiol, 2-thienylthiol, thienylmercaptan.
Can 2-Thienylmercaptan be labeled natural?
Since 2-Thienylmercaptan is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Thienylmercaptan 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-Thienylmercaptan is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3062. 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 15.001, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1052, 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: Pungent, sulfurous, earthy, onion.
Where it is used
2-Thienylmercaptan is used in savory dishes, seasonings, sauces and meat products, typically as a sulfur note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Thienylmercaptan by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Methyl-3-furanthiol | 3188 | 85% | In nature |
| 2-Methylthiophene | 4928 | 81% | In nature |
| Benzenethiol | 3616 | 69% | In nature |
| 2-Thienylmethanol | 4642 | 69% | In nature |
| 2-Methylfuran | 4179 | 68% | In nature |
More thiols in this index
2-Mercaptoanisole · Cyclopentanethiol · 3-Mercaptohexanol · 2-Ethylthiophenol · 2-Thienyl disulfide · 3-Mercaptopropionic acid
2-Thienylmercaptan FAQ
Is 2-Thienylmercaptan on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3062 covers 2-Thienylmercaptan. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-Thienylmercaptan?
The FEMA number for 2-Thienylmercaptan is 3062 and its CAS registry number is 7774-74-5. FEMA files it in the sulfur flavor category.
Is 2-Thienylmercaptan natural or artificial?
2-Thienylmercaptan occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Thienylmercaptan won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Thienylmercaptan 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.
Is 2-Thienylmercaptan approved in the EU?
2-Thienylmercaptan is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 15.001 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Thienylmercaptan?
Yes. JECFA number 1052, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is 2-Thienylmercaptan used for?
2-Thienylmercaptan is described as pungent, sulfurous, earthy, onion. It shows up in savory dishes, seasonings, sauces and meat products.
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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-THIENYL MERCAPTAN under CAS 7774-74-5 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 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.