Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5&6-Decenoic acid
5&6-Decenoic acid is a natural complex flavoring material in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3742 (CAS 72881-27-7). Its odor is fruity, green, waxy, slightly floral.
- FEMA
- 3742
- CAS
- 72881-27-7
- JECFA
- 327
- EU FL
- 08.068
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 14. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 85392-03-6.
Structure
Material
5&6-Decenoic acid is a natural complex material rather than a single molecule, so it has no one structure. FEMA lists it as 5&6-Decenoic acid (mixture).
Identity
Also known as: Decenoic acid, Milk Lactone, 5(6)-Decenoic acid, trans-2-decenoic acid, (e)-2-decenoic acid, 2-decenoic acid, (e)-, (e)-dec-2-enoic acid, decenoic acid, 5(6)-decenoic acid, 5- and 6-decenoic acid, trans-2-decylenic acid, 2e-decenoic acid.
Can 5&6-Decenoic acid be labeled natural?
Since 5&6-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 5&6-Decenoic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 5&6-Decenoic acid 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
5&6-Decenoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3742. 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 08.068, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 327, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 5&6-Decenoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 72881-27-7, where EPA names it Decenoic acid.
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: Fruity, green, waxy, slightly floral.
Where it is used
5&6-Decenoic acid is used in beverage, flavoring, food additives and confection, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5&6-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Decenoic Acid | 3914 | 98% | In nature |
| cis-5-Octenoic acid | 4350 | 86% | In nature |
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 84% | In nature |
| 3-Octenoic acid | 4362 | 81% | In nature |
More acids in this index
2-Methyl-2-pentenoic acid · 2-Methylvaleric acid · 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid · 4-Methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid · (E)-2-Decenoic acid · Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid
5&6-Decenoic acid FAQ
Does 5&6-Decenoic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
5&6-Decenoic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3742. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 5&6-Decenoic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 5&6-Decenoic acid as FEMA 3742 or CAS 72881-27-7; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 5&6-Decenoic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
5&6-Decenoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 5&6-Decenoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 5&6-Decenoic acid is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can 5&6-Decenoic acid be used in the EU and UK?
5&6-Decenoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.068 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 5&6-Decenoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 327, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does 5&6-Decenoic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 5&6-Decenoic acid is fruity, green, waxy, slightly floral. Typical uses are beverage, flavoring, food additives and confection.
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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 5-DECENOIC ACID under CAS 85392-03-6 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavor enhancer, 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.