Flavor ingredient regulatory record
6-Methylheptanal
6-Methylheptanal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4498 (CAS 63885-09-6). Its odor is sweet, fruity, apple, green, floral.
- FEMA
- 4498
- CAS
- 63885-09-6
- JECFA
- 2174
- EU FL
- 05.225
- Formula
- C8H16O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 63885-09-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Heptanal, 6-methyl-, Isocaprylic aldehyde, 6-methyl heptanal, isocaprylic aldehyde, heptanal, 6-methyl-, isooctan-1-al, isooctanal, isooctane-ether, db-129524, db-254970, en300-1870089.
Can 6-Methylheptanal be labeled natural?
Since 6-Methylheptanal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 6-Methylheptanal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 6-Methylheptanal 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-Methylheptanal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4498. 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 05.225, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2174.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, apple, green, floral.
Where it is used
6-Methylheptanal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 6-Methylheptanal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptanal | 2540 | 95% | In nature |
| 6-Methyloctanal | 4433 | 94% | Not determined |
| cis-4-Heptenal | 3289 | 90% | In nature |
| Hept-2(trans)-enal | 3165 | 89% | In nature |
| Octanal | 2797 | 75% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde · 2-trans,6-trans Nonadienal · Nonanal · Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal · (E)-4-Nonenal · Tridecanal
6-Methylheptanal FAQ
Does 6-Methylheptanal have FEMA GRAS status?
6-Methylheptanal holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4498. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 6-Methylheptanal by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 6-Methylheptanal as FEMA 4498 or CAS 63885-09-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 6-Methylheptanal be labeled a natural flavor?
6-Methylheptanal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 6-Methylheptanal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 6-Methylheptanal is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can 6-Methylheptanal be used in the EU and UK?
6-Methylheptanal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.225 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 6-Methylheptanal?
Yes. JECFA number 2174.
What does 6-Methylheptanal smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 6-Methylheptanal is sweet, fruity, apple, green, floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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-METHYLHEPTANAL under CAS 63885-09-6 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.