Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3332 (CAS 84642-61-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, creamy, buttery.
- FEMA
- 3332
- CAS
- 84642-61-5
- JECFA
- 407
- EU FL
- 09.264
- Formula
- C8H14O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 84642-61-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl ester, 1-Methyl-2-oxopropyl butanoate, (1-Methyl-2-oxo-propyl) butanoate, 3-Oxobutan-2-yl butanoate, 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl butyrate, 3-oxobutan-2-yl butanoate, acetoyl butyrate, 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl butanoate, butanoic acid, 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl ester, butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate (natural), butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate [fcc], butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate [fhfi].
Can Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate be labeled natural?
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate 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
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3332. 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 09.264, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 407, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, tropical, creamy, buttery.
Where it is used
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyl levulinate | 2207 | 86% | In nature |
| (+/-)-Ethyl 3-mercapto-2-methylbutanoate | 4392 | 78% | In nature |
| 3-Nonanone | 3440 | 76% | In nature |
| Ethyl 5-(methylthio)pentanoate | 3978 | 75% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethylene brassylate · Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate · 2-Ethanethoic acid, S-(2-methyl-3-furanyl) ester · Methyl 2-nonynoate · Butyl beta-(methylthio)acrylate · Ethyl (E)-2-methyl-2-pentenoate
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate FAQ
Is butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3332 covers butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate?
The FEMA number for butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is 3332 and its CAS registry number is 84642-61-5. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate natural or artificial?
Since butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate identical-to-natural.
Is butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate approved in the EU?
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.264 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 407, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate used for?
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate is described as sweet, fruity, tropical, creamy, buttery. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and bakery.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 BUTAN-3-ONE-2-YL BUTANOATE under CAS 84642-61-5 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.