Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4176 (CAS 3511-32-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, toasted.
- FEMA
- 4176
- CAS
- 3511-32-8
- JECFA
- 2232
- Formula
- C5H6O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3511-32-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 5-methylfuran-3(2h)-one, 5-methylfuran-3-one, 3(2h)-furanone, 5-methyl-, 5-methyl-3(2h)-furanone [fhfi], 5-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-3-one, 5-methylfuran-3(2h)-one;, 5-methyl-furan-3-one, 3(2h)-furanone,5-methyl-, as-58431, db-359093, cs-0092875.
Can 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone be labeled natural?
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is artificial. 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
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4176. 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-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone. 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 2232, evaluated at the 82nd meeting in 2016. 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: Sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, toasted.
Taste: Sweet, fruity, caramel.
Where it is used
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is used in beverage, confection, bakery, desserts and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| gamma-Valerolactone | 3103 | 91% | In nature |
| 2-Methylfuran | 4179 | 87% | In nature |
| 2,5-Dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one | 4101 | 78% | Not determined |
| 4-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone | 3635 | 78% | In nature |
| Furfural | 2489 | 73% | In nature |
More furans in this index
4-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone · 2-Acetyl-5-methylfuran · 2,2'-(Thiodimethylene)difuran · 2-Methyl-5-(methylthio)furan · 2-Heptylfuran · Furfural propyleneglycol acetal
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone FAQ
Is 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone as GRAS under FEMA number 4176. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone?
5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is FEMA 4176, CAS 3511-32-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2232), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone?
Yes. JECFA number 2232, evaluated at the 82nd meeting in 2016. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone as sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, toasted. On the palate it is sweet, fruity, caramel. It is used in beverage, confection, bakery, desserts and flavoring.
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-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone 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-METHYL-3(2H)-FURANONE under CAS 3511-32-8 and carries its FEMA 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.