Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3-Hexenoic acid
3-Hexenoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3170 (CAS 4219-24-3). Its odor is green, fruity, apple, grassy.
- FEMA
- 3170
- CAS
- 4219-24-3
- JECFA
- 317
- EU FL
- 08.050
- Formula
- C6H10O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4219-24-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hydrosorbic acid, Δ3-Hexenoic acid, NSC 26715, hex-3-enoic acid, (z)-hex-3-enoicacid, da-05956.
Can 3-Hexenoic acid be labeled natural?
Since 3-Hexenoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3-Hexenoic acid 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-Hexenoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3170. 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 08.050, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 317, 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-Hexenoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 4219-24-3, where EPA names it 3-Hexenoic acid.
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, fruity, apple, grassy.
Where it is used
3-Hexenoic acid is used in beverage, fruit flavors, savory dishes and condiments, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3-Hexenoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-3-Hexenoic acid | 4493 | 100% | In nature |
| (E,E)-2,4-Hexadienoic acid | 3921 | 97% | In nature |
| Hexanoic acid | 2559 | 95% | In nature |
| 2-Hexen-1-ol | 2562 | 83% | In nature |
| 4-Hexen-1-ol | 3430 | 82% | In nature |
More acids in this index
3,7-Dimethyl-6-octenoic acid · 2-Methoxybenzoic acid · Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid · 3-Hydroxy-2-oxopropionic acid · Valeric acid · 5-Methylhexanoic acid
3-Hexenoic acid FAQ
Is 3-Hexenoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3170 covers 3-Hexenoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 3-Hexenoic acid?
The FEMA number for 3-Hexenoic acid is 3170 and its CAS registry number is 4219-24-3. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 3-Hexenoic acid natural or artificial?
3-Hexenoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3-Hexenoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3-Hexenoic acid 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-Hexenoic acid approved in the EU?
3-Hexenoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.050 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 3-Hexenoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 317, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 3-Hexenoic acid used for?
3-Hexenoic acid is described as green, fruity, apple, grassy. It shows up in beverage, fruit flavors, savory dishes and condiments.
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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-HEXENOIC ACID under CAS 4219-24-3 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.