Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3550 (CAS 3142-66-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, caramel.
- FEMA
- 3550
- CAS
- 3142-66-3
- JECFA
- 409
- EU FL
- 07.125
- Formula
- C5H10O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3142-66-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Pentanone, 3-hydroxy-, 1-Acetyl-1-propanol, 2-Pentanon-3-ol, 1-Hydroxypropyl methyl ketone, 3-hydroxypentan-2-one, 2-pentanone, 3-hydroxy-, acetyl ethyl carbinol, acetylethylcarbinol, 1-acetyl-1-propanol, 1-hydroxypropyl methyl ketone, 2-pentanon-3-ol, hydroxypentanone,3-hydroxy-2-pentanone.
Can 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone be labeled natural?
Since 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone 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-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3550. 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 07.125, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 409, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, caramel.
Where it is used
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is used in beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,3-Pentadione | 2841 | 92% | In nature |
| 2-Methylbutyric acid | 2695 | 92% | In nature |
| Acetoin | 2008 | 86% | In nature |
| 2-Oxobutyric acid | 3723 | 82% | In nature |
| Propylene Glycol | 2940 | 81% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
3-Hepten-2-one · 3,4-Dimethyl-1,2-cyclo-pentanedione · Dihydro-beta-ionone · Dihydronootkatone · 2,3-Hexanedione · 4-Acetyl-2-methylpyrimidine
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone FAQ
Does 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone have FEMA GRAS status?
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3550. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone as FEMA 3550 or CAS 3142-66-3; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone be labeled a natural flavor?
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone 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 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone be used in the EU and UK?
3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.125 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone?
Yes. JECFA number 409, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 3-Hydroxy-2-pentanone is sweet, fruity, creamy, buttery, caramel. Typical uses are beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and flavoring.
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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-HYDROXY-2-PENTANONE under CAS 3142-66-3 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.