Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is a pyrazine in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3546 (CAS 104-90-5). Its odor is earthy, nutty, roasted, spicy.
- FEMA
- 3546
- CAS
- 104-90-5
- JECFA
- 1318
- EU FL
- 14.066
- Formula
- C8H11N
- EC
- 203-250-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 104-90-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pyridine, 5-ethyl-2-methyl-, 2-Picoline, 5-ethyl-, Aldehydine, 5-Ethyl-α-picoline, 5-Ethyl-2-picoline, 2-Methyl-5-ethylpyridine, 6-Methyl-3-ethylpyridine, 3-Ethyl-6-methylpyridine, Aldehydecollidine, Collidine, aldehydecollidine, NSC 1984, 5-ethyl-2-picoline.
Can 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine be labeled natural?
Since 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine 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.
- 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-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3546. 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 14.066, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1318, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 104-90-5, where EPA names it Pyridine, 5-ethyl-2-methyl-.
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: Earthy, nutty, roasted, spicy.
Where it is used
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is used in savory snacks, seasonings, meat products and sauces, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Propylpyridine | 4065 | 86% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol | 2675 | 82% | In nature |
| (+/-)-Ethyl 3-mercapto-2-methylbutanoate | 4392 | 80% | In nature |
| 3-Ethylpyridine | 3394 | 77% | In nature |
| 2-Isobutylpyridine | 3370 | 73% | In nature |
More pyrazines in this index
trans-Nonenal · 2-Methyl-5-vinylpyrazine · 2,5-Diethyl-3-methylpyrazine · 6,7-Dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-5H-cyclopentapyrazine · 2-Ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine · 2-Methyl-3,5 and 6-(furfurylthio)pyrazine
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine FAQ
Is 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine as GRAS under FEMA number 3546. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine?
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is FEMA 3546, CAS 104-90-5. FEMA files it in the spice flavor category.
Does 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine count as natural in the US and the EU?
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine identical-to-natural.
Is 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine on the EU Union List?
5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 14.066 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine?
Yes. JECFA number 1318, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine as earthy, nutty, roasted, spicy. It is used in savory snacks, seasonings, meat products and sauces.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 5-Ethyl-2-methylpyridine in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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-ETHYL-2-METHYLPYRIDINE under CAS 104-90-5 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.