Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4790 (CAS 10138-32-6). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, citrus.
- FEMA
- 4790
- CAS
- 10138-32-6
- JECFA
- 2255
- Formula
- C10H14O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
![2D structure of (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester](/public/structures/fema-4790.svg)
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester, 5-Norbornene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate, 5-Norbornenecarboxylic acid ethyl ester, NSC 26489, NSC 62714, Ethyl 5-norbornene-2-carboxylate, 5-Ethoxycarbonylnorbornene, ethyl bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate, bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester, ethyl 5-norbornene-2-carboxylate, bicyclo(2.2.1)hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester.
Can (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4790. 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 (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester. 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 2255.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 10138-32-6, where EPA names it Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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, floral, estery, citrus.
Where it is used
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
More esters in this index
1-p-Menthen-9-yl acetate · mono-Menthyl succinate · Ethyl trans-2-cis-4-decadienoate · Propyleneglycol mono-2-methylbutyrate · Isobornyl acetate · Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester FAQ
Is (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4790 covers (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester?
The FEMA number for (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester is 4790 and its CAS registry number is 10138-32-6. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2255), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester?
Yes. JECFA number 2255.
What is (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester used for?
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester is described as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, citrus. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
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Check (+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester 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 EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 10138-32-6.
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.