Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Decenoic Acid
4-Decenoic Acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3914 (CAS 26303-90-2). Its odor is fruity, floral, green, waxy.
- FEMA
- 3914
- CAS
- 26303-90-2
- JECFA
- 1287
- EU FL
- 08.075
- Formula
- C10H18O2
- EC
- 247-599-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 26303-90-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: dec-4-enoic acid, db-003477, d4449.
Can 4-Decenoic Acid be labeled natural?
Since 4-Decenoic 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-Decenoic 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
4-Decenoic Acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3914. 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 08.075, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1287, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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: Fruity, floral, green, waxy.
Where it is used
4-Decenoic Acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Decenoic Acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5&6-Decenoic acid | 3742 | 97% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Decenoic acid | 3913 | 95% | In nature |
| 3-Octenoic acid | 4362 | 86% | In nature |
| cis-5-Octenoic acid | 4350 | 86% | In nature |
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 84% | In nature |
More acids in this index
4-Methylnonanoic acid · Mixture of Ricinoleic acid, Linoleic acid, and Oleic acid · Decanedioic acid · 4-Methyloctanoic acid · 3-Oxooctanoic acid glyceride · Levulinic acid
4-Decenoic Acid FAQ
Is 4-Decenoic Acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3914 covers 4-Decenoic Acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 4-Decenoic Acid?
The FEMA number for 4-Decenoic Acid is 3914 and its CAS registry number is 26303-90-2. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 4-Decenoic Acid natural or artificial?
4-Decenoic Acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Decenoic Acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Decenoic 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 4-Decenoic Acid approved in the EU?
4-Decenoic Acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.075 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Decenoic Acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1287, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 4-Decenoic Acid used for?
4-Decenoic Acid is described as fruity, floral, green, waxy. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 4-Decenoic Acid in a formula
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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-DECENOIC ACID under CAS 26303-90-2 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.