Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5-Oxooctanoic acid
5-Oxooctanoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4455 (CAS 3637-14-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, fatty.
- FEMA
- 4455
- CAS
- 3637-14-7
- JECFA
- 1957
- Formula
- C8H14O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3637-14-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: octanoic acid, 5-oxo-, 5-oxo-octanoic acid, 5-keto-n-caprylic acid, 5-oxooctanoicacid, as-56942, cs-0323350.
Can 5-Oxooctanoic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for 5-Oxooctanoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 5-Oxooctanoic 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.
- 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-Oxooctanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4455. 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-Oxooctanoic acid. 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 1957.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, creamy, fatty.
Taste: Sour, fruity, slightly fatty.
Where it is used
5-Oxooctanoic acid is used in beverage, dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5-Oxooctanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Oxodecanoic acid | 4456 | 93% | Not determined |
| 5-Oxododecanoic acid | 4458 | 83% | Not determined |
| cis-5-Octenoic acid | 4350 | 81% | In nature |
| Octanoic acid | 2799 | 80% | In nature |
| Heptanoic acid | 3348 | 60% | In nature |
More acids in this index
3-Methoxybenzoic acid · 3-Methyl-2-oxobutanoic acid · trans-2-Methyl-2-butenoic acid · 10-Undecenoic acid · 5&6-Decenoic acid · 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid
5-Oxooctanoic acid FAQ
Is 5-Oxooctanoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 5-Oxooctanoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 4455. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 5-Oxooctanoic acid?
5-Oxooctanoic acid is FEMA 4455, CAS 3637-14-7. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is 5-Oxooctanoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 5-Oxooctanoic acid as sweet, fruity, creamy, fatty. On the palate it is sour, fruity, slightly fatty. It is used in beverage, dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes.
What did JECFA conclude about 5-Oxooctanoic acid?
JECFA evaluated 5-Oxooctanoic acid under JECFA number 1957.
Is 5-Oxooctanoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 5-Oxooctanoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1957), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does 5-Oxooctanoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes 5-Oxooctanoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 5-Oxooctanoic acid, 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.
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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-OXOOCTANOIC ACID under CAS 3637-14-7 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.