Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Heptanone
4-Heptanone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2546 (CAS 123-19-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, coconut, buttery.
- FEMA
- 2546
- CAS
- 123-19-3
- JECFA
- 287
- EU FL
- 07.058
- Formula
- C7H14O
- EC
- 204-608-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 123-19-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butyrone, Dipropyl ketone, GBL, Propyl ketone, Di-n-Propyl ketone, 4-Oxoheptane, NSC 8692, heptan-4-one, dipropyl ketone, butyrone, propyl ketone, di-n-propyl ketone.
Can 4-Heptanone be labeled natural?
Since 4-Heptanone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4-Heptanone 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-Heptanone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2546. 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 07.058, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 287, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 4-Heptanone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 123-19-3, where EPA names it 4-Heptanone.
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, coconut, buttery.
Where it is used
4-Heptanone is used in beverage, confection, dairy, baked goods and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Heptanone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hepten-4-one | 3399 | 86% | In nature |
| Ethyl butyrate | 2427 | 86% | In nature |
| 3-Heptanone | 2545 | 86% | In nature |
| 2-Ethylbutyraldehyde | 2426 | 77% | In nature |
| 2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanone | 3537 | 73% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
3,4-Dimethyl-1,2-cyclo-pentanedione · 2,3-Octanedione · 2,3-Undecadione · 2-Heptanone · 3-Oxobutanal dimethyl acetal · (E)-2-(2-Octenyl)cyclopentanone
4-Heptanone FAQ
Is 4-Heptanone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2546 covers 4-Heptanone. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 4-Heptanone?
The FEMA number for 4-Heptanone is 2546 and its CAS registry number is 123-19-3. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 4-Heptanone natural or artificial?
4-Heptanone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Heptanone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Heptanone 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-Heptanone approved in the EU?
4-Heptanone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.058 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Heptanone?
Yes. JECFA number 287, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 4-Heptanone used for?
4-Heptanone is described as sweet, fruity, creamy, coconut, buttery. It shows up in beverage, confection, dairy, baked goods 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 4-HEPTANONE under CAS 123-19-3 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.