Flavor ingredient regulatory record
beta-Pinene
beta-Pinene is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2903 (CAS 127-91-3). Its odor is pine, woody, green, turpentine, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2903
- CAS
- 127-91-3
- JECFA
- 1330
- EU FL
- 01.003
- Formula
- C10H16
- EC
- 204-872-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 127-91-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, 6,6-dimethyl-2-methylene-, 2(10)-Pinene, 6,6-Dimethyl-2-methylenebicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, Nopinene, Terebenthene, β-Pinene, Pseudopinen, Pseudopinene, Nopinen, PC 600, (±)-2(10)-Pinene, (±)-β-Pinene.
Can beta-Pinene be labeled natural?
The process decides for beta-Pinene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic beta-Pinene is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic beta-Pinene 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-Pinene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2903. 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 01.003, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1330, 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-Pinene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 127-91-3, where EPA names it Bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, 6,6-dimethyl-2-methylene-.
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: Pine, woody, green, turpentine, fresh.
Taste: Woody, pine, slightly resinous.
Where it is used
beta-Pinene is used in pine flavors, herbal and gin, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to beta-Pinene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbenol | 3594 | 88% | In nature |
| Verbenone | 4216 | 85% | In nature |
| 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol | 3587 | 84% | In nature |
| Myrtenol | 3439 | 82% | In nature |
| Camphene | 2229 | 78% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Santalol · (+)-Cedrol · Thujyl alcohol · 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol · Terpinolene · Isoborneol
beta-Pinene FAQ
Is beta-Pinene on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2903 covers beta-Pinene. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for beta-Pinene?
The FEMA number for beta-Pinene is 2903 and its CAS registry number is 127-91-3. Its flavor category is woody.
What is beta-Pinene used for?
beta-Pinene is described as pine, woody, green, turpentine, fresh. On the palate it is woody, pine, slightly resinous. It shows up in pine flavors, herbal and gin.
What did JECFA conclude about beta-Pinene?
JECFA evaluated beta-Pinene at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1330. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is beta-Pinene approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 01.003 is the Union List entry for beta-Pinene, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is beta-Pinene natural or artificial?
Nature makes beta-Pinene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial beta-Pinene, same molecule. 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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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-PINENE under CAS 127-91-3 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 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.