Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate
5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate is an isothiocyanate in the green family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4421 (CAS 49776-81-0). Its odor is pungent, mustard, green, vegetal.
- FEMA
- 4421
- CAS
- 49776-81-0
- JECFA
- 1894
- Formula
- C7H11NS
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 49776-81-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Hexene, 6-isothiocyanato-, 6-Isothiocyanato-1-hexene, 6-isothiocyanato-1-hexene, 5-hexen-1-yl isothiocyanate, 1-hexene, 6-isothiocyanato-, 5-heitc, 6-isothiocyanatohex-1-ene, 5-hexenyl isothiocyanate [fifh], 5-hexenyl isothiocyanate [fhfi].
Can 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate be labeled natural?
Nature makes 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate, same molecule. 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-Hexenyl isothiocyanate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4421. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1894, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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: Pungent, mustard, green, vegetal.
Where it is used
5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate is used in savory dishes, condiments, seasonings and snacks, typically as a green note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexyl isothiocyanate | 4422 | 96% | In nature |
| 4-Pentenyl isothiocyanate | 4427 | 91% | In nature |
| 5-(Methylthio)pentyl isothiocyanate | 4416 | 90% | In nature |
| Phenethyl isothiocyanate | 4014 | 88% | In nature |
| Amyl isothiocyanate | 4417 | 87% | In nature |
More isothiocyanates in this index
Isoamyl isothiocyanate · Isopropyl isothiocyanate · Methyl isothiocyanate · Hexyl isothiocyanate · 5-(Methylthio)pentyl isothiocyanate · 2-Butyl isothiocyanate
5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate FAQ
Is 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4421 covers 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate?
The FEMA number for 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate is 4421 and its CAS registry number is 49776-81-0. Its flavor category is green.
What is 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate used for?
5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate is described as pungent, mustard, green, vegetal. It shows up in savory dishes, condiments, seasonings and snacks.
What did JECFA conclude about 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate?
JECFA evaluated 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1894. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1894), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate natural or artificial?
The process decides for 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate 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.
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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-HEXENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE under CAS 49776-81-0 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.