Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Acetic acid
Acetic acid is an acid in the acidic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2006 (CAS 64-19-7). Its odor is sharp, pungent, vinegar, sour.
- FEMA
- 2006
- CAS
- 64-19-7
- JECFA
- 81
- EU FL
- 08.002
- Formula
- C2H4O2
- EC
- 200-580-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 64-19-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanoic acid, Ethylic acid, Glacial acetic acid, Methanecarboxylic acid, Vinegar acid, Ethanoic acid monomer, Aci-Jel, E 260, NSC 111201, NSC 112209, NSC 115870, NSC 127175.
Can Acetic acid be labeled natural?
Since acetic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when acetic acid is synthesized. 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
Acetic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2006. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1005.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.002, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 81, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Acetic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 64-19-7, where EPA names it Acetic acid.
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: Sharp, pungent, vinegar, sour.
Taste: Sour, acidic, vinegar. Taste threshold about 50 ppm.
Where it is used
Acetic acid is used in vinegar, pickled flavors and acidulant, typically as a acidic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Acetic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetone | 3326 | 86% | In nature |
| Ethanol | 2419 | 84% | In nature |
| Pyruvaldehyde | 2969 | 80% | In nature |
| Acetaldehyde | 2003 | 80% | In nature |
| Ethylamine | 4236 | 70% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Pyruvic acid · Adipic acid · Tartaric acid (+)-, (-)-, (+/-)-, meso- · L-Malic Acid · Propionic acid · Benzoic acid
Acetic acid FAQ
Is acetic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2006 covers acetic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 184.1005.
What is the FEMA number for acetic acid?
The FEMA number for acetic acid is 2006 and its CAS registry number is 64-19-7. FEMA files it in the acidic flavor category.
Is acetic acid natural or artificial?
Acetic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: acetic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized acetic acid is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
Is acetic acid approved in the EU?
Acetic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.002 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated acetic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 81, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is acetic acid used for?
Acetic acid is described as sharp, pungent, vinegar, sour. On the palate it is sour, acidic, vinegar. It shows up in vinegar, pickled flavors and acidulant.
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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 ACETIC ACID under CAS 64-19-7 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 antimicrobial agent, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, ph control agent.
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.