Flavor ingredient regulatory record
beta-Farnesene
beta-Farnesene is a terpene in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4971 (CAS 18794-84-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, citrus.
- FEMA
- 4971
- CAS
- 18794-84-8
- JECFA
- 1343
- Formula
- C15H24
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1,6,10-Dodecatriene, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-, (6E)-, 1,6,10-Dodecatriene, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-, (E)-, (6E)-7,11-Dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, β-Farnesene, (E)-7,11-Dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, trans-β-Farnesene, (E)-β-Farnesene, Biofene, (6E)-7,11-Dimethyl-3-methylidenedodeca-1,6,10-triene, trans-beta-farnesene, (6e)-7,11-dimethyl-3-methylidenedodeca-1,6,10-triene, e-beta-farnesene.
Can beta-Farnesene be labeled natural?
The process decides for beta-Farnesene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic beta-Farnesene is artificial. 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
beta-Farnesene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4971. 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 beta-Farnesene. 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)
JECFA number 1343, 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-Farnesene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 18794-84-8, where EPA names it 1,6,10-Dodecatriene, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-, (6E)-.
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: Sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, citrus.
Where it is used
beta-Farnesene is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, perfume and aroma enhancement, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to beta-Farnesene 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 | 96% | In nature |
| beta-Bisabolene | 4940 | 90% | In nature |
| Hydroxycitronellal | 2583 | 70% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
2,2,6-Trimethyl-6-vinyltetrahydropyran · Allyl alpha-ionone · (E,R)-3,7-Dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol · d-8-p-Menthene-1,2-epoxide · alpha-Campholenic alcohol · 3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene
beta-Farnesene FAQ
Is beta-Farnesene FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists beta-Farnesene as GRAS under FEMA number 4971. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for beta-Farnesene?
beta-Farnesene is FEMA 4971, CAS 18794-84-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is beta-Farnesene described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe beta-Farnesene as sweet, fruity, green apple, floral, citrus. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, perfume and aroma enhancement.
What did JECFA conclude about beta-Farnesene?
JECFA evaluated beta-Farnesene at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1343. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is beta-Farnesene approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for beta-Farnesene. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1343), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does beta-Farnesene count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes beta-Farnesene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial beta-Farnesene, same molecule. 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.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 18794-84-8.
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.