Flavor ingredient regulatory record
beta-Bisabolene
beta-Bisabolene is a terpene in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4940 (CAS 495-61-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, herbal, spicy, woody.
- FEMA
- 4940
- CAS
- 495-61-4
- EU FL
- 01.028
- Formula
- C15H24
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexen-1-yl)-, (4S)-, β-Bisabolene, 1,5-Heptadiene, 6-methyl-2-(4-methyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl)-, (S)-(-)-, Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexenyl)-, (S)-, Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexenyl)-, (4S)-, (4S)-1-Methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexen-1-yl)cyclohexene, (-)-β-Bisabolene, l-β-Bisabolene, (S)-1-Methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexenyl)-1-cyclohexene, (S)-1-Methyl-4-(5-methyl-1-methylene-4-hexenyl)cyclohexene, (S)-β-Bisabolene, (s)-beta-bisabolene.
Can beta-Bisabolene be labeled natural?
beta-Bisabolene occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: beta-Bisabolene won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized beta-Bisabolene is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic beta-Bisabolene 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
beta-Bisabolene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4940. 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 01.028, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
beta-Bisabolene 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, floral, herbal, spicy, woody.
Where it is used
beta-Bisabolene is used in beverage, confection, fragrance and aromatic oils, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to beta-Bisabolene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farnesene | 3839 | 92% | In nature |
| beta-Farnesene | 4971 | 90% | In nature |
| alpha -Bisabolene | 5067 | 87% | In nature |
| Nerolidol | 2772 | 80% | In nature |
| (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol | 4031 | 75% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Farnesol · alpha-Ionol · alpha-bisabolol · alpha-Irone · Linalool oxide pyranoid · Tetrahydrolinalool
beta-Bisabolene FAQ
Is beta-Bisabolene on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4940 covers beta-Bisabolene. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for beta-Bisabolene?
The FEMA number for beta-Bisabolene is 4940 and its CAS registry number is 495-61-4. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Is beta-Bisabolene natural or artificial?
Since beta-Bisabolene is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when beta-Bisabolene is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic beta-Bisabolene identical-to-natural.
Is beta-Bisabolene approved in the EU?
beta-Bisabolene is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.028 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
What is beta-Bisabolene used for?
beta-Bisabolene is described as sweet, floral, herbal, spicy, woody. It shows up in beverage, confection, fragrance and aromatic oils.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check beta-Bisabolene 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 EU Union List of flavouring substances, matched on CAS 495-61-4.
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.