Flavor ingredient regulatory record
beta-Caryophyllene
beta-Caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2252 (CAS 87-44-5). Its odor is woody, spicy, clove, dry.
- FEMA
- 2252
- CAS
- 87-44-5
- JECFA
- 1324
- EU FL
- 01.007
- Formula
- C15H24
- EC
- 201-746-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 87-44-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene, 4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, (1R,4E,9S)-, Bicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene, 4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, (E)-(1R,9S)-(-)-, Bicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene, 4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, [1R-(1R*,4E,9S*)]-, (1R,4E,9S)-4,11,11-Trimethyl-8-methylenebicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene, trans-Caryophyllene, Caryophyllene, l-Caryophyllene, β-Caryophyllene, β-Caryophyllen, (-)-β-Caryophyllene, β-Caryophyllene, (-), (-)-Caryophyllene.
Can beta-Caryophyllene be labeled natural?
beta-Caryophyllene occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: beta-Caryophyllene won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized beta-Caryophyllene is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic beta-Caryophyllene 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-Caryophyllene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2252. 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 01.007, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. 80-92% beta-caryophyllene and 15-19% C15H24 terpene hydrocarbons (eg. valencene)
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1324, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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. beta-Caryophyllene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 87-44-5, where EPA names it Bicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene, 4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, (1R,4E,9S)-.
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, spicy, clove, dry.
Taste: Spicy, woody, peppery.
Where it is used
beta-Caryophyllene is used in spice, clove and woody, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to beta-Caryophyllene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caryophylla-3(4),8-dien-5-ol | 4780 | 93% | In nature |
| beta-Caryophyllene oxide | 4085 | 90% | In nature |
| 10-Hydroxymethylene-2-pinene | 3938 | 52% | In nature |
| Myrtenyl acetate | 3765 | 51% | In nature |
| 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol | 3587 | 50% | In nature |
beta-Caryophyllene FAQ
Is beta-Caryophyllene on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2252 covers beta-Caryophyllene. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for beta-Caryophyllene?
The FEMA number for beta-Caryophyllene is 2252 and its CAS registry number is 87-44-5. FEMA files it in the spice flavor category.
Is beta-Caryophyllene natural or artificial?
Since beta-Caryophyllene is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when beta-Caryophyllene is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic beta-Caryophyllene identical-to-natural.
Is beta-Caryophyllene approved in the EU?
beta-Caryophyllene is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.007 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated beta-Caryophyllene?
Yes. JECFA number 1324, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is beta-Caryophyllene used for?
beta-Caryophyllene is described as woody, spicy, clove, dry. On the palate it is spicy, woody, peppery. It shows up in spice, clove and woody.
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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 BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE under CAS 87-44-5 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 color or coloring adjunct, 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.