Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Thienylmethanol
2-Thienylmethanol is an alcohol in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4642 (CAS 636-72-6). Its odor is earthy, musty, sweet, herbal.
- FEMA
- 4642
- CAS
- 636-72-6
- JECFA
- 2111
- Formula
- C5H6OS
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 636-72-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Thiophenemethanol, 2-(Hydroxymethyl)thiophene, 2-Thenyl alcohol, 2-Thienylmethyl alcohol, 2-Thienylcarbinol, (Thiophen-2-yl)methanol, NSC 89695, 2-thiophenemethanol, thiophen-2-ylmethanol, thiophene-2-methanol, 2-(hydroxymethyl)thiophene, thenyl alcohol.
Can 2-Thienylmethanol be labeled natural?
Since 2-Thienylmethanol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Thienylmethanol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Thienylmethanol 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-Thienylmethanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4642. 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-Thienylmethanol. 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)
JECFA number 2111, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Earthy, musty, sweet, herbal.
Taste: Earthy, slightly sweet, herbal.
Where it is used
2-Thienylmethanol is used in beverage, savory dishes, seasonings and sauces, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Thienylmethanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furfuryl alcohol | 2491 | 87% | In nature |
| 2-Methylthiophene | 4928 | 76% | In nature |
| 5-Methyl-2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde | 3209 | 76% | In nature |
| o-Cresol | 3480 | 75% | In nature |
| 1-(2-Thienyl)ethanethiol | 4646 | 73% | Not determined |
More alcohols in this index
1-Octen-3-ol · Vetiverol · (R)-(-)-1-Octen-3-ol · Isopropyl alcohol · cis-3-Hexen-1-ol · 3-Methyl-2-butanol
2-Thienylmethanol FAQ
Does 2-Thienylmethanol have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Thienylmethanol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4642. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Thienylmethanol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Thienylmethanol as FEMA 4642 or CAS 636-72-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the earthy flavor category.
Can 2-Thienylmethanol be labeled a natural flavor?
2-Thienylmethanol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Thienylmethanol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Thienylmethanol is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Thienylmethanol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Thienylmethanol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2111), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Thienylmethanol?
Yes. JECFA number 2111, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does 2-Thienylmethanol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Thienylmethanol is earthy, musty, sweet, herbal. On the palate it is earthy, slightly sweet, herbal. Typical uses are beverage, savory dishes, seasonings and sauces.
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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-THIENYLMETHANOL under CAS 636-72-6 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.