Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2003 (CAS 75-07-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, green apple, pungent.
- FEMA
- 2003
- CAS
- 75-07-0
- JECFA
- 80
- EU FL
- 05.001
- Formula
- C2H4O
- EC
- 200-836-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 75-07-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Acetic aldehyde, Ethanal, Ethyl aldehyde, NSC 7594, MeSH ID: D000079, ethanal, acetic aldehyde, ethyl aldehyde, acetylaldehyde, acetaldehyd, aldeide acetica, acetic ethanol.
Can Acetaldehyde be labeled natural?
The process decides for acetaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic acetaldehyde is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic acetaldehyde 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
Acetaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2003. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.001, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 80, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Listed under California Proposition 65 for cancer since April 1, 1988; a warning may be required in California depending on exposure. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Acetaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 75-07-0, where EPA names it Acetaldehyde.
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: Sweet, fruity, green apple, pungent. Detectable at about 0.025 ppm.
Taste: Sweet, tart, refreshing. Taste threshold about 0.04 ppm.
Where it is used
Acetaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Acetaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanol | 2419 | 86% | In nature |
| Sodium diacetate | 3900 | 80% | In nature |
| Formic acid | 2487 | 78% | In nature |
| Ethylamine | 4236 | 77% | In nature |
| Acetic acid | 2006 | 76% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
2,3-Epoxyheptanal · 12-Methyltridecanal · Perillaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · 1-Methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde · 3-(3,4-Methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-methylpropanal · cis-4-Hexenal
Acetaldehyde FAQ
Is acetaldehyde on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2003 covers acetaldehyde. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
What is the FEMA number for acetaldehyde?
The FEMA number for acetaldehyde is 2003 and its CAS registry number is 75-07-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is acetaldehyde used for?
Acetaldehyde is described as sweet, fruity, green apple, pungent. On the palate it is sweet, tart, refreshing. Its odor threshold is about 0.025 ppm. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about acetaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated acetaldehyde at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 80. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is acetaldehyde approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 05.001 is the Union List entry for acetaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is acetaldehyde natural or artificial?
Nature makes acetaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial acetaldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 ACETALDEHYDE under CAS 75-07-0 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.