Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Aminobutyric acid
4-Aminobutyric acid is an acid in the savory family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4288 (CAS 56-12-2). Its odor is umami, savory, slightly bitter, earthy.
- FEMA
- 4288
- CAS
- 56-12-2
- JECFA
- 1771
- EU FL
- 17.035
- Formula
- C4H9NO2
- EC
- 200-258-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 56-12-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 4-amino-, Butyric acid, 4-amino-, 4-Aminobutanoic acid, γ-Aminobutyric acid, GABA, Gamma-aminobutyric acid, Piperidinic acid, Piperidic acid, Gammalon, Gamarex, Gammalone, Gammasol.
Can 4-Aminobutyric acid be labeled natural?
4-Aminobutyric acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Aminobutyric acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Aminobutyric 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.
- 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-Aminobutyric acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4288. 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 17.035, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1771, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. 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. 4-Aminobutyric acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 56-12-2, where EPA names it Butanoic acid, 4-amino-.
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: Umami, savory, slightly bitter, earthy.
Where it is used
4-Aminobutyric acid is used in seasoning, sauces, snacks and meat products, typically as a savory note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Aminobutyric acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valeric acid | 3101 | 90% | In nature |
| L-Aspartic acid | 3656 | 88% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Pentenoic acid | 4193 | 80% | In nature |
| Leucine | 3297 | 80% | In nature |
| Levulinic acid | 2627 | 78% | In nature |
More acids in this index
N-Acetyl glutamate · l-Glutamic acid · L-Aspartic acid · Disodium succinate · Sodium diacetate · Glycyrrhizic acid, ammoniated
4-Aminobutyric acid FAQ
Does 4-Aminobutyric acid have FEMA GRAS status?
4-Aminobutyric acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4288. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 4-Aminobutyric acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 4-Aminobutyric acid as FEMA 4288 or CAS 56-12-2; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the savory flavor category.
Can 4-Aminobutyric acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 4-Aminobutyric acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4-Aminobutyric acid 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-Aminobutyric acid be used in the EU and UK?
4-Aminobutyric acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 17.035 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Aminobutyric acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1771, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 4-Aminobutyric acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 4-Aminobutyric acid is umami, savory, slightly bitter, earthy. Typical uses are seasoning, sauces, snacks and meat products.
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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 4-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID under CAS 56-12-2 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.