Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid is a lactone, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2109 (CAS 50-81-7).
- FEMA
- 2109
- CAS
- 50-81-7
- Formula
- C6H8O6
- EC
- 200-066-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 50-81-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: L-Ascorbic acid, Allercorb, Antiscorbic vitamin, Antiscorbutic vitamin, Ascorbajen, Ascorin, Ascorteal, Ascorvit, Cantan, Cantaxin, Catavin C, Cebicure.
Can Ascorbic Acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes Ascorbic Acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial Ascorbic Acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic Ascorbic Acid 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
Ascorbic Acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2109. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.3013 and 21 CFR 182.8013.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Ascorbic Acid. 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)
Ascorbic Acid 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ascorbic Acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 50-81-7, where EPA names it L-Ascorbic 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
Taste: Pleasant, sharp, acidic taste.
Where it is used
Typical applications for Ascorbic Acid are not on file yet.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ascorbic Acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-Xylose | 3606 | 81% | In nature |
| Gallic acid | 4994 | 77% | In nature |
| D-Sorbitol | 3029 | 73% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 72% | In nature |
| Aconitic acid | 2010 | 68% | In nature |
Ascorbic Acid FAQ
Is Ascorbic Acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists Ascorbic Acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2109. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.3013 and 21 CFR 182.8013.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for Ascorbic Acid?
Ascorbic Acid is FEMA 2109, CAS 50-81-7.
Does Ascorbic Acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for Ascorbic Acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic Ascorbic Acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic Ascorbic Acid identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 ASCORBIC ACID under CAS 50-81-7 and carries its FEMA number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as antimicrobial agent, antioxidant, color or coloring adjunct, dough strengthener, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, nutrient supplement, ph control agent, sequestrant, stabilizer or thickener.
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.