Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Allyl hexanoate
Allyl hexanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2032 (CAS 123-68-2). Its odor is pineapple, ethereal, fruity, sweet.
- FEMA
- 2032
- CAS
- 123-68-2
- JECFA
- 3
- EU FL
- 09.244
- Formula
- C9H16O2
- EC
- 204-642-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 123-68-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanoic acid, 2-propen-1-yl ester, Hexanoic acid, allyl ester, Hexanoic acid, 2-propenyl ester, Allyl alcohol, hexanoate, Allyl caproate, Allyl capronate, 2-Propenyl hexanoate, NSC 20962, Caproic acid allyl ester, allyl caproate, hexanoic acid, allyl ester, prop-2-enyl hexanoate.
Can Allyl hexanoate be labeled natural?
Allyl hexanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: allyl hexanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized allyl hexanoate 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
Allyl hexanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2032. 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 09.244, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 3, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. 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. Allyl hexanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 123-68-2, where EPA names it Hexanoic acid, 2-propen-1-yl ester.
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: Pineapple, ethereal, fruity, sweet.
Taste: Pineapple, tropical, fruity.
Where it is used
Allyl hexanoate is used in pineapple, tropical and fruit, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Allyl hexanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allyl heptanoate | 2031 | 95% | In nature |
| 1-Octen-3-yl acetate | 3582 | 89% | In nature |
| 1-Octen-3-one | 3515 | 87% | In nature |
| Ethyl 4-pentenoate | 4360 | 72% | In nature |
| Propyl hexanoate | 2949 | 69% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenethyl phenylacetate · alpha-Terpinyl acetate · Isopropyl myristate · 3-n-Butylphthalide · Methyl (E)-2-(Z)-4-decadienoate · Heptyl heptanoate
Allyl hexanoate FAQ
Does allyl hexanoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Allyl hexanoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2032. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite allyl hexanoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite allyl hexanoate as FEMA 2032 or CAS 123-68-2; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can allyl hexanoate be labeled a natural flavor?
Since allyl hexanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when allyl hexanoate 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.
Can allyl hexanoate be used in the EU and UK?
Allyl hexanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.244 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated allyl hexanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 3, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does allyl hexanoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of allyl hexanoate is pineapple, ethereal, fruity, sweet. On the palate it is pineapple, tropical, fruity. Typical uses are pineapple, tropical and fruit.
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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 ALLYL HEXANOATE under CAS 123-68-2 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.