Flavor ingredient regulatory record
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4323 (CAS 51352-68-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, creamy.
- FEMA
- 4323
- CAS
- 51352-68-2
- JECFA
- 1989
- Formula
- C9H14O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 51352-68-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2(3H)-Furanone, 5-pentyl-, 5-Pentyl-2(3H)-furanone, 4-Hydroxy-3-nonenoic acid lactone, 5-(1-Pentyl)-3H-furan-2-one, 2(3h)-furanone, 5-pentyl-, 5-amyl-3h-furan-2-one, 5-(1-pentyl)-3h-furan-2-one, 4-hydroxy-3-nonenoic acid lactone, 5-pentyl-3h-furan-2-one [fhfi], 5-pentyl-2(3h)-furanone, (5e)-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylideneoxolan-2-one, 5-pentylfuran-2(3h)-one.
Can 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one be labeled natural?
The process decides for 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one 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-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4323. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 10.170 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1989.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, creamy.
Where it is used
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| gamma-Nonalactone | 2781 | 91% | In nature |
| trans-2-Hexenal propylene glycol acetal | 4272 | 75% | In nature |
| gamma-Decalactone | 2360 | 74% | In nature |
| Isojasmone | 3552 | 73% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methyloctanoic acid gamma-lactone | 3803 | 60% | In nature |
More furans in this index
2-Methyl-3-(methylthio)furan · 2-Acetyl-3,5-dimethylfuran · di-2-Furylmethane · 2,5-Dimethyl-4-ethoxy-3(2H)-furanone · 5-Methylfurfural · 4-Acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one FAQ
Is 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one as GRAS under FEMA number 4323. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one?
5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one is FEMA 4323, CAS 51352-68-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one as sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, creamy. It is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one?
JECFA evaluated 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one under JECFA number 1989.
Is 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1989), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 5-Pentyl-3H-furan-2-one, 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-PENTYL-3H-FURAN-2-ONE under CAS 51352-68-2 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.