Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3962 (CAS 116-02-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, woody, green.
- FEMA
- 3962
- CAS
- 116-02-9
- JECFA
- 1099
- EU FL
- 02.209
- Formula
- C9H18O
- EC
- 204-122-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 116-02-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cyclohexanol, 3,3,5-trimethyl-, 3,3,5-Trimethylcyclohexanol, Cyclonol, 1-Methyl-3-dimethyl-cyclohexanol-5, 3,5,5-Trimethylcyclohexanol, NSC 4008, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanol, homomenthol, cyclonol, cyclohexanol, 3,3,5-trimethyl-, isophorol, dihydro-, 3,3,5-trimethyl-1-cyclohexanol.
Can 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol be labeled natural?
Since 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol 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
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3962. 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 02.209, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1099, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 116-02-9, where EPA names it Cyclohexanol, 3,3,5-trimethyl-.
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, woody, green.
Where it is used
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and personal care products, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isophorone | 3553 | 87% | In nature |
| m-Cresol | 3530 | 82% | In nature |
| 2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohexanone | 3473 | 72% | In nature |
| 3-Methylcyclohexanone | 3947 | 71% | In nature |
| 2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1,4-dione | 3421 | 67% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
2-Octen-4-ol · 2-Nonanol · Furfuryl alcohol · 2-Methyl-4-phenyl-2-butanol · Dihydro-beta-ionol · Nonyl alcohol
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol FAQ
Is 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3962 covers 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol?
The FEMA number for 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is 3962 and its CAS registry number is 116-02-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol natural or artificial?
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol 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 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol approved in the EU?
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.209 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol?
Yes. JECFA number 1099, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol used for?
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol is described as sweet, fruity, floral, woody, green. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and personal care 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 3,3,5-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXANOL under CAS 116-02-9 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.