Flavor ingredient regulatory record

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3466 (CAS 56767-18-1). Its odor is green, fresh, fruity, citrus, herbaceous.

FEMA
3466
CAS
56767-18-1
JECFA
1182
EU FL
05.111
Formula
C8H12O
EC
260-372-7

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 9. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 56767-18-1.

Structure

2D structure of 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal
Structure of 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal, C8H12O. Drawn from the canonical SMILES.

Identity

IUPAC name (2E,6E)-octa-2,6-dienal
CAS number 56767-18-1
FEMA number 3466
Molecular formula C8H12O
Molecular weight 124.18 g/mol
SMILES C/C=C/CC/C=C/C=O
InChIKey CBXNRMOWVZUZQA-BLWKUPHCSA-N
PubChem CID 6365761
EC number 260-372-7
FDA UNII 738653D6CR
EPA DTXSID DTXSID70886151
Chemical class Aldehyde
Boiling point 99 °C
Flash point 33 °C

Also known as: 2,6-Octadienal, (2E,6E)-, 2,6-Octadienal, (E,E)-, (2E,6E)-2,6-Octadienal, 2-trans-6-trans-Octadienal, (2e,6e)-2,6-octadienal, 2,6-octadienal, (2e,6e)-, 2,6-trans,trans-octadienal, 2-trans-6-trans-octadienal, 2,6-octadienal, (e,e)-, 2,6-octadienal, trans,trans-, 2,6-octadien-1-al, (e,e)-, 2-trans-6-trans-octadienal [fhfi].

Can 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal be labeled natural?

Since 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal 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-trans,6-trans Octadienal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3466. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.

21 CFR 172.515

European Union and United Kingdom

Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.111, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 1182.

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

TSCA Inventory status

A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 56767-18-1, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadienal, (2E,6E)-.

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: Green, fresh, fruity, citrus, herbaceous.

Taste: Bitter, slightly sweet, green.

Where it is used

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and seasonings, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
Nona-2(trans),6(cis)-dienal337797%In nature
2-trans,6-trans Nonadienal376697%In nature
2,4-Octadienal372197%In nature
Oct-2-enal321596%In nature
Nona-2,4,6-trienal418793%Not determined

More aldehydes in this index

cis-3-Hexenal · 2-Ethylbutyraldehyde · 2-trans,4-trans-Decadienal · Dodec-2-(trans)-enal · 6-Methyloctanal · (2E, 4E)-undeca-2,4-dienal

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal FAQ

Does 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal have FEMA GRAS status?

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3466. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.

How do I cite 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal by FEMA or CAS number?

Cite 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal as FEMA 3466 or CAS 56767-18-1; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.

Can 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal be labeled a natural flavor?

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.

Can 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal be used in the EU and UK?

2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.111 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.

Has JECFA evaluated 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal?

Yes. JECFA number 1182.

What does 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal smell and taste like, and where is it used?

The odor of 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal is green, fresh, fruity, citrus, herbaceous. On the palate it is bitter, slightly sweet, green. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and seasonings.

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-trans,6-trans Octadienal 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-TRANS-6-TRANS-OCTADIENAL under CAS 56767-18-1 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.