Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyl isovalerate
Butyl isovalerate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2218 (CAS 109-19-3). Its odor is fruity, pineapple, ripe tropical.
- FEMA
- 2218
- CAS
- 109-19-3
- JECFA
- 198
- EU FL
- 09.449
- Formula
- C9H18O2
- EC
- 203-654-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 109-19-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 3-methyl-, butyl ester, Isovaleric acid, butyl ester, Butyl 3-methylbutyrate, n-Butyl isovalerate, Butyl 3-methylbutanoate, 3-Methylbutyric acid butyl ester, n-Butyl 3-methylbutyrate, NSC 6187, 3-Methylbutanoic acid butyl ester, butyl 3-methylbutanoate, butyl isopentanoate, n-butyl isovalerate.
Can Butyl isovalerate be labeled natural?
Since butyl isovalerate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when butyl isovalerate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic butyl isovalerate 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
Butyl isovalerate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2218. 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 09.449, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 198, 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 isovalerate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 109-19-3, where EPA names it Butanoic acid, 3-methyl-, 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: Fruity, pineapple, ripe tropical.
Taste: Pineapple, tropical, sweet.
Where it is used
Butyl isovalerate is used in pineapple, tropical and fruit, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyl isovalerate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl isovalerate | 2085 | 95% | In nature |
| 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate | 3498 | 93% | In nature |
| Isoamyl octanoate | 2080 | 81% | In nature |
| Isoamyl 2-methylbutyrate | 3505 | 78% | In nature |
| Isoamyl propionate | 2082 | 73% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isoamyl propionate · Tetrahydrofurfuryl cinnamate · 1-Octen-3-yl acetate · Ethyl benzoylacetate · Methyl 2-octynoate · Propyleneglycol monobutyrate
Butyl isovalerate FAQ
Does butyl isovalerate have FEMA GRAS status?
Butyl isovalerate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2218. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite butyl isovalerate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite butyl isovalerate as FEMA 2218 or CAS 109-19-3; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can butyl isovalerate be labeled a natural flavor?
Butyl isovalerate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: butyl isovalerate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized butyl isovalerate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can butyl isovalerate be used in the EU and UK?
Butyl isovalerate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.449 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated butyl isovalerate?
Yes. JECFA number 198, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does butyl isovalerate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of butyl isovalerate is fruity, pineapple, ripe tropical. On the palate it is pineapple, tropical, sweet. Typical uses are pineapple, tropical and fruit.
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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 ISOVALERATE under CAS 109-19-3 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.