Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3-Decanol
3-Decanol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3605 (CAS 1565-81-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, fatty, waxy.
- FEMA
- 3605
- CAS
- 1565-81-7
- JECFA
- 295
- EU FL
- 02.103
- Formula
- C10H22O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 12. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1565-81-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Ethyl-1-octanol, 3-Hydroxydecane, dl-Decan-3-ol, (±)-3-Decanol, decan-3-ol, ethyl heptyl carbinol, heptyl ethyl carbinol, ethyl n-heptyl carbinol, 3-hydroxydecane, dl-decan-3-ol, 3-decanol [fhfi], 1-ethyl-1-octanol.
Can 3-Decanol be labeled natural?
Nature makes 3-Decanol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 3-Decanol, same molecule. 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.
- 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-Decanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3605. 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 02.103, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 295, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. no safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 3-Decanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1565-81-7, where EPA names it 3-Decanol.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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, fatty, waxy.
Where it is used
3-Decanol is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3-Decanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Nonanol | 3315 | 97% | In nature |
| 2-Undecanol | 3246 | 96% | In nature |
| Nonyl alcohol | 2789 | 95% | In nature |
| 1-Decanol | 2365 | 92% | In nature |
| Undecyl alcohol | 3097 | 91% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
p-Isopropylbenzyl alcohol · Undecyl alcohol · alpha-Amylcinnamyl alcohol · trans-2-Tridecenol · 3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol · Heptyl alcohol
3-Decanol FAQ
Is 3-Decanol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3605 covers 3-Decanol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 3-Decanol?
The FEMA number for 3-Decanol is 3605 and its CAS registry number is 1565-81-7. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is 3-Decanol used for?
3-Decanol is described as sweet, fruity, floral, fatty, waxy. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
What did JECFA conclude about 3-Decanol?
JECFA evaluated 3-Decanol at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 295. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 3-Decanol approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 02.103 is the Union List entry for 3-Decanol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is 3-Decanol natural or artificial?
The process decides for 3-Decanol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 3-Decanol 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.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 3-Decanol in a formula
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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-DECANOL under CAS 1565-81-7 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.