Flavor ingredient regulatory record
6-Hydroxycarvone
6-Hydroxycarvone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4523 (CAS 51200-86-3). Its odor is sweet, minty, herbal, green, fresh.
- FEMA
- 4523
- CAS
- 51200-86-3
- JECFA
- 2244
- Formula
- C10H14O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 51200-86-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Cyclohexen-1-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one, p-Mentha-1,8-dien-2-ol-6-one, 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-5-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-one, p-mentha-1,8-dien-2-ol-6-one, 2-cyclohexen-1-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 2-hydroxy-p-mentha-1,8-dien-6-one, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one, oxycarvon, 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-one, p-menth-8-ene-2,6-dione.
Can 6-Hydroxycarvone be labeled natural?
The process decides for 6-Hydroxycarvone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 6-Hydroxycarvone is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 6-Hydroxycarvone 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
6-Hydroxycarvone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4523. 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-Hydroxycarvone. 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 2244, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. 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, minty, herbal, green, fresh.
Where it is used
6-Hydroxycarvone is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and cosmetics, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 6-Hydroxycarvone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carveol | 2247 | 87% | In nature |
| d-Carvone | 2249 | 86% | In nature |
| Dihydrocarvone | 3565 | 86% | In nature |
| Dihydrocarveol | 2379 | 76% | In nature |
| 8-p-Menthene-1,2-diol | 4409 | 69% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
Vanillylidene acetone · 2,3-Undecadione · Cycloionone · 4-(p-Tolyl)-2-butanone · 3-Hydroxy-4-phenylbutan-2-one · 3-Hexanone
6-Hydroxycarvone FAQ
Is 6-Hydroxycarvone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4523 covers 6-Hydroxycarvone. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 6-Hydroxycarvone?
The FEMA number for 6-Hydroxycarvone is 4523 and its CAS registry number is 51200-86-3. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is 6-Hydroxycarvone used for?
6-Hydroxycarvone is described as sweet, minty, herbal, green, fresh. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring and cosmetics.
What did JECFA conclude about 6-Hydroxycarvone?
JECFA evaluated 6-Hydroxycarvone at the 86th meeting in 2018 under JECFA number 2244. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 6-Hydroxycarvone approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 6-Hydroxycarvone. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2244), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is 6-Hydroxycarvone natural or artificial?
Nature makes 6-Hydroxycarvone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 6-Hydroxycarvone, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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 6-Hydroxycarvone 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 6-HYDROXYCARVONE under CAS 51200-86-3 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.