Flavor ingredient regulatory record
alpha-Humulene
alpha-Humulene is a terpene in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 5077 (CAS 6753-98-6). Its odor is woody, herbal, spicy, earthy.
- FEMA
- 5077
- CAS
- 6753-98-6
- Formula
- C15H24
- EC
- 229-816-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, 32. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: (±)-α-Humulene, humulene, alpha-caryophyllene, (1e,4e,8e)-2,6,6,9-tetramethylcycloundeca-1,4,8-triene, 1,4,8-cycloundecatriene, 2,6,6,9-tetramethyl-, (e,e,e)-, (1e,4e,8e)-2,6,6,9-tetramethyl-1,4,8-cycloundecatriene, 3,7,10-humulatriene, a-humulene, .alpha.-caryophyllene, alpha -humulene, .alpha.-humulene, 1,4,8-cycloundecatriene, 2,6,6,9-tetramethyl-, (1e,4e,8e)-.
Can alpha-Humulene be labeled natural?
Nature makes alpha-Humulene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial alpha-Humulene, same molecule. 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
alpha-Humulene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 5077, 32. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for alpha-Humulene. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
alpha-Humulene has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. alpha-Humulene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 6753-98-6, where EPA names it 1,4,8-Cycloundecatriene, 2,6,6,9-tetramethyl-, (1E,4E,8E)-.
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: Woody, herbal, spicy, earthy.
Taste: Bitter, herbal, earthy.
Where it is used
alpha-Humulene is used in beverage, seasoning, aromatic compounds and craft beer, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to alpha-Humulene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| beta-Caryophyllene | 2252 | 40% | In nature |
| Bisabolene | 3331 | 39% | In nature |
| Farnesene | 3839 | 39% | In nature |
| 4-Acetyl-6-t-butyl-1,1-dimethylindan | 3653 | 38% | In nature |
| alpha-Ionol | 3624 | 38% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
beta-Ionol · Cubebol · 4-Methylidene-2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)oxane · Carveol · Isopulegone · Nootkatone
alpha-Humulene FAQ
Does alpha-Humulene have FEMA GRAS status?
alpha-Humulene holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 5077 (32). The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite alpha-Humulene by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite alpha-Humulene as FEMA 5077 or CAS 6753-98-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is earthy.
What does alpha-Humulene smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of alpha-Humulene is woody, herbal, spicy, earthy. On the palate it is bitter, herbal, earthy. Typical uses are beverage, seasoning, aromatic compounds and craft beer.
Can alpha-Humulene be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for alpha-Humulene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic alpha-Humulene is artificial. 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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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check alpha-Humulene in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 6753-98-6.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.