Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyl hexanoate
Butyl hexanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2201 (CAS 626-82-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, apple, peach, estery.
- FEMA
- 2201
- CAS
- 626-82-4
- JECFA
- 162
- EU FL
- 09.063
- Formula
- C10H20O2
- EC
- 210-964-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 626-82-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanoic acid, butyl ester, Butyl caproate, n-Butyl hexanoate, NSC 4022, WLF 123179Q, hexanoic acid, butyl ester, n-butyl hexanoate, butyl caproate, hexanoic acid butyl ester, n-caproic acid n-butyl ester, n-butyl caproate, n-butyl n-hexanoate.
Can Butyl hexanoate be labeled natural?
Nature makes butyl hexanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial butyl hexanoate, 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.
- 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
Butyl hexanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2201. 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 09.063, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 162, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Butyl hexanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 626-82-4, where EPA names it Hexanoic acid, butyl 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 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, apple, peach, estery.
Where it is used
Butyl hexanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyl hexanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propyl hexanoate | 2949 | 95% | In nature |
| Propyl heptanoate | 2948 | 88% | In nature |
| Isoamyl hexanoate | 2075 | 88% | In nature |
| n-Amyl heptanoate | 2073 | 81% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Anisyl phenylacetate · Furfuryl formate · Allyl cinnamate · Propyl 2,4-decadienoate · Phenethyl phenylacetate · Maltyl isobutyrate
Butyl hexanoate FAQ
Is butyl hexanoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2201 covers butyl hexanoate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for butyl hexanoate?
The FEMA number for butyl hexanoate is 2201 and its CAS registry number is 626-82-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is butyl hexanoate used for?
Butyl hexanoate is described as sweet, fruity, apple, peach, estery. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about butyl hexanoate?
JECFA evaluated butyl hexanoate at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 162. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is butyl hexanoate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.063 is the Union List entry for butyl hexanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is butyl hexanoate natural or artificial?
The process decides for butyl hexanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic butyl hexanoate is artificial. 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 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 BUTYL HEXANOATE under CAS 626-82-4 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 flavor enhancer, 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.