Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3292 (CAS 59191-78-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, tropical, floral.
- FEMA
- 3292
- CAS
- 59191-78-5
- JECFA
- 1839
- EU FL
- 07.097
- Formula
- C9H18O2
- EC
- 261-652-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 5. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 59191-78-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Octanone, 3-(hydroxymethyl)-, 3-(Hydroxymethyl)-2-octanone, 3-(hydroxymethyl)octan-2-one, 3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-octanone, 2-octanone, 3-(hydroxymethyl)-, 3-hydroxymethyl-2-octanone, 3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-octanone [fhfi], (+-)-3-hydroxymethyl-2-octanone, hydroxymethyl hexyl ethyl ketone, db-293735.
Can 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone be labeled natural?
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone 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.
- 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-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3292. 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 07.097, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 90%; secondary component 7% 3-methylene-2-octanone
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1839.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 59191-78-5, where EPA names it 2-Octanone, 3-(hydroxymethyl)-.
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, creamy, tropical, floral.
Where it is used
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is used in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and fruit flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-heptanone | 2804 | 85% | In nature |
| Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate | 3508 | 70% | In nature |
| 2-Methylheptanoic acid | 2706 | 69% | In nature |
| 2-Octanol | 2801 | 68% | In nature |
| 3-Methyl-2,4-nonanedione | 4057 | 57% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
3-Hydroxy-4-phenylbutan-2-one · 2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanone · 2-Octen-4-one · 2,3-Undecadione · 4-Hexen-3-one · 2-Furyl methyl ketone
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone FAQ
Does 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone have FEMA GRAS status?
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3292. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone as FEMA 3292 or CAS 59191-78-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is synthesized. 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.
Can 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone be used in the EU and UK?
3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.097 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone?
Yes. JECFA number 1839.
What does 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 3-(Hydroxymethyl)- 2-octanone is sweet, fruity, creamy, tropical, floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and fruit flavors.
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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-(HYDROXYMETHYL)-2-OCTANONE under CAS 59191-78-5 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.