Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is an oxazole in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4396 (CAS 53833-32-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, nutty, toasted, cereal.
- FEMA
- 4396
- CAS
- 53833-32-2
- JECFA
- 1569
- EU FL
- 13.112
- Formula
- C8H13NO
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 53833-32-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Oxazole, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl-, 2-n-Propyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole, oxazole, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl-, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl-1,3-oxazole, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl oxazole, 2-n-propyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl-oxazole, 2-propyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole [fhfi], 2propyl4,5dimethyl oxazole, oxazole, 4,5dimethyl2propyl, 2-propyl-4,5-dimethyl oxazole, 2-propyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole.
Can 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole be labeled natural?
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole 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
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4396. 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 13.112, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1569.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 53833-32-2, where EPA names it Oxazole, 4,5-dimethyl-2-propyl-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, nutty, toasted, cereal.
Where it is used
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is used in beverage, confection, snack foods and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Isobutyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole | 4397 | 84% | In nature |
| 2-Ethyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole | 3672 | 80% | In nature |
| 2,5-Dimethyl-4-ethyloxazole | 4395 | 77% | In nature |
| 2-Butylfuran | 4081 | 70% | In nature |
| Trimethyloxazole | 4394 | 60% | In nature |
More oxazoles in this index
2-Isobutyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole · 2-Methyl-4,5-benzo-oxazole · 2-Ethyl-4,5-dimethyloxazole · 2,5-Dimethyl-4-ethyloxazole
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole FAQ
Does 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole have FEMA GRAS status?
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4396. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole as FEMA 4396 or CAS 53833-32-2; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole 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 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole be used in the EU and UK?
4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.112 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole?
Yes. JECFA number 1569.
What does 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 4,5-Dimethyl-2-propyloxazole is sweet, fruity, nutty, toasted, cereal. Typical uses are beverage, confection, snack foods and baked goods.
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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 2-PROPYL-4,5-DIMETHYLOXAZOLE under CAS 53833-32-2 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.