Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Adipic acid
Adipic acid is an acid in the acidic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2011 (CAS 124-04-9). Its odor is sour, tangy, sharp, clean.
- FEMA
- 2011
- CAS
- 124-04-9
- JECFA
- 623
- EU FL
- 08.026
- Formula
- C6H10O4
- EC
- 204-673-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 124-04-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanedioic acid, Adipinic acid, 1,4-Butanedicarboxylic acid, 1,6-Hexanedioic acid, Acifloctin, Acinetten, Adilactetten, Asapic, Inipol DS, E 355, NSC 7622, NSC 87836.
Can Adipic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for adipic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic adipic 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.
- 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
Adipic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2011. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1009.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.026, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 623, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 0-5 mg/kg bw (general use, 1977); No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent (flavour use, 1999). ADI 0 to 5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Adipic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 124-04-9, where EPA names it Hexanedioic 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: Sour, tangy, sharp, clean.
Where it is used
Adipic acid is used in beverage, confection, dairy and baked goods, typically as a acidic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Adipic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Isopropenyl-6-oxoheptanoic acid | 4461 | 57% | Not determined |
| Heptanoic acid | 3348 | 52% | In nature |
| 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethylamine | 4215 | 49% | In nature |
| Hept-2-enoic acid | 3920 | 47% | In nature |
| Hydroxy(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acetic acid | 4660 | 47% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Lactic acid · Fumaric acid · Propionic acid · Pyruvic acid · Aconitic acid · L-Malic Acid
Adipic acid FAQ
Does adipic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Adipic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2011. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 184.1009.
How do I cite adipic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite adipic acid as FEMA 2011 or CAS 124-04-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is acidic.
What does adipic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of adipic acid is sour, tangy, sharp, clean. Typical uses are beverage, confection, dairy and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about adipic acid?
JECFA evaluated adipic acid at the 53rd meeting in 1999 under JECFA number 623. The panel concluded: 0-5 mg/kg bw (general use, 1977); No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent (flavour use, 1999).
Can adipic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 08.026 is the Union List entry for adipic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can adipic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes adipic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial adipic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic adipic acid 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 ADIPIC ACID under CAS 124-04-9 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, leavening agent, 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.