Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Aconitic acid
Aconitic acid is an acid in the acidic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2010 (CAS 499-12-7). Its odor is sour, citrus, tangy, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2010
- CAS
- 499-12-7
- JECFA
- 627
- EU FL
- 08.033
- Formula
- C6H6O6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 499-12-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, Achilleaic acid, Achilleic acid, Citridic acid, Citridinic acid, Equisetic acid, 3-Carboxyglutaconic acid, Pyrocitric acid, 2-Pentenedioic acid, 3-carboxy-, NSC 7616, MeSH ID: D000156, 1-propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid.
Can Aconitic acid be labeled natural?
Since aconitic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when aconitic acid is synthesized. 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.
- 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
Aconitic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2010. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1007.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.033, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 627, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 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. Aconitic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 499-12-7, where EPA names it 1-Propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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: Sour, citrus, tangy, fruity.
Where it is used
Aconitic acid is used in beverage, sour candies, salad dressings and flavoring agents, typically as a acidic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Aconitic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citric Acid | 2306 | 84% | In nature |
| Gallic acid | 4994 | 79% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 79% | In nature |
| 2-Oxopentanedioic acid | 3891 | 74% | In nature |
| l-Glutamic acid | 3285 | 73% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Adipic acid · Propionic acid · Formic acid · Fumaric acid · Pyruvic acid · Lactic acid
Aconitic acid FAQ
Is aconitic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists aconitic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2010. It is also codified at 21 CFR 184.1007.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for aconitic acid?
Aconitic acid is FEMA 2010, CAS 499-12-7. FEMA files it in the acidic flavor category.
Does aconitic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Aconitic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: aconitic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized aconitic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic aconitic acid identical-to-natural.
Is aconitic acid on the EU Union List?
Aconitic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.033 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated aconitic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 627, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is aconitic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe aconitic acid as sour, citrus, tangy, fruity. It is used in beverage, sour candies, salad dressings and flavoring agents.
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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 ACONITIC ACID under CAS 499-12-7 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 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.