Flavor ingredient regulatory record
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4884 (CAS 1569-60-4). Its odor is fruity, floral, green, fresh, citrus.
- FEMA
- 4884
- CAS
- 1569-60-4
- EU FL
- 02.124
- Formula
- C8H16O
- EC
- 216-377-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 5-Hepten-2-ol, 6-methyl-, 6-Hydroxy-2-methyl-2-heptene, 2-Methyl-2-hepten-6-ol, Sulcatol, (±)-Sulcatol, (±)-6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, NSC 66273, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-ol, sulcatol, 5-hepten-2-ol, 6-methyl-, 6-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-heptene, 2-methyl-2-hepten-6-ol.
Can 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol be labeled natural?
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol 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
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4884. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.124, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1569-60-4, where EPA names it 5-Hepten-2-ol, 6-methyl-.
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 publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
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: Fruity, floral, green, fresh, citrus.
Where it is used
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one | 2707 | 92% | In nature |
| (E)-6-Methyl-3-hepten-2-one | 4001 | 91% | Not determined |
| 6-Methyl-3,5-heptadien-2-one | 3363 | 88% | In nature |
| Heptan-2-ol | 3288 | 77% | In nature |
| Nerol | 2770 | 67% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
3,3,5-Trimethyl cyclohexanol · 5-Methylfurfuryl alcohol · Heptyl alcohol · (Z)-4-Hepten-1-ol · trans-2-Tridecenol · 1-Decen-3-ol
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol FAQ
Is 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol as GRAS under FEMA number 4884. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol?
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is FEMA 4884, CAS 1569-60-4. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol 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 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol on the EU Union List?
6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.124 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
How is 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-ol as fruity, floral, green, fresh, citrus. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by FDA Substances Added to Food, EU Union List of flavouring substances, EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 1569-60-4.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.