Flavor ingredient regulatory record
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4442 (CAS 85392-05-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, floral, buttery.
- FEMA
- 4442
- CAS
- 85392-05-8
- JECFA
- 1977
- Formula
- C20H36O4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 977187-83-9.
Structure
![2D structure of 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid](/public/structures/fema-4442.svg)
Identity
Also known as: 5-Decenoic acid, 1-butyl-5-carboxypentyl ester, 1-Butyl-5-carboxypentyl 5-decenoate, 5-decenoic acid, 1-butyl-5-carboxypentyl ester, 6-[(dec-5-enoyl)oxy]decanoic acid.
Can 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4442. 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 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic 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 1977, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 85392-05-8, where EPA names it 5-Decenoic acid, 1-butyl-5-carboxypentyl ester.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Sweet, fruity, tropical, floral, buttery.
Where it is used
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid is used in beverage, confection, dairy, desserts and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
More esters in this index
Methyl N-methylanthranilate · Phenethyl tiglate · 2,4-Hexadienyl isobutyrate · Allyl cyclohexane butyrate · 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate · Propyl cinnamate
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid FAQ
Is 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4442 covers 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid?
The FEMA number for 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid is 4442 and its CAS registry number is 85392-05-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1977), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1977, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid used for?
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid is described as sweet, fruity, tropical, floral, buttery. It shows up in beverage, confection, dairy, desserts and snacks.
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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 6-[5(6)-DECENOYLOXY]DECANOIC ACID under CAS 977187-83-9 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.